Deception
by Meowzy-chan
Summary: Alternate Universe! Yuan, a researcher from Sybak, meets Kratos, a travelling mercenary with an alcohol problem. Interested yet? KxY
1. The Researcher And The Mercenary

((**A/N:** Here we are. Another fanfic by Meowzy. Alternate-Universe-y, but with plenty of ToS stuff in it. All the locations are the same, and plenty of references to ToS objects and characters. Yup.

First up; Warnings. For those who have read my previous A-U fic; Vale of Misery, you'll know what to expect. But for those who didn't read that, and just to make sure you get it printed into your head... Dark themes are in this fic. We've got alcoholism, rape, character deaths... And naturally, the Kratos/Yuan pairing. Implied lemons galore. So if you don't like the Kratos/Yuan, turn around and walk away.

Secondly; I don't own Tales of Symphonia or the characters. Or the locations. Nope.

Thirdly; Reviews make me happy. It doesn't take that much time to leave a message for the author. Doesn't matter if it's good or bad.

So... Uhmmm... Enjoy the first chapter, and I hope you'll keep reading after that.))

* * *

The Researcher And The Mercenary.

Yuan was standing in the abandoned bathroom of a dirty cafe. He stared into the mirror, frowning slightly. The loud music was giving him a headache. Bars in Meltokio were known for being noisy and a little low-class. He was starting to regret entering in the first place. But during a business trip to Tethe'alla's capital, one had to have some fun too, right?

Suddenly, the door swung open and a human with auburn hair staggered into the room. Yuan had to admit, he looked kind of handsome, were it not for the morning stubble and bloodshot eyes. This man was obviously wasted.

The human placed a hand against the wall for support, glancing around. His eyes strayed across the room, before coming to rest on Yuan. The half-elf gave him a nervous smile and turned back to the mirror.

The nervous look was soon replaced by a blush, when the man moved to stand behind Yuan, glancing over his shoulder.

"Ah…" Yuan looked up to glance at the man's reflection, unsure of what to say.

The man's ruby eyes narrowed for a second, before he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Yuan's waist. The bluenette froze as the stranger buried his face in the crook of his neck.

"You smell nice." The man said in a muffled voice.

Yuan felt something sticking in his hip and prayed to the gods that it was the sword the man carried on his belt. Wondering why things like this _had_ to happen to him, he tried to break free from the human's grip again.

"Why are you struggling?" the man asked, looking up again. He tightened his hold, squeezing the air from Yuan's lungs.

"You're… hurting me." Yuan spluttered, turning even brighter red.

"Oh, am I?" the stranger smirked darkly. "I know just what will make you feel better."

With one swift movement, the man turned Yuan around and practically threw him into a nearby cubicle. Luckily, the half-elf managed to extend his hands just in time to avoid smashing face-first into the wall.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" Yuan turned to see the man lock the cubicle door behind him, smiling wickedly. "Ah…"

Running a quick hand through his messy hair, the man stepped closer. So close that Yuan could smell the alcohol on his breath. Soon, he was pinned to the wall by two forceful hands.

"L-let go…" Yuan whimpered, pushing himself back as far as possible.

"No." the man leaned closer, pressing his lips against Yuan's to muffle a scream. One of his hands released the half-elf's arms to roam his body instead.

Yuan let out a stifled moan, trying to tell himself that he was not enjoying this. That this was wrong. After all, being cornered by a drunk human in a restroom was certainly not tolerable, right? Still, Yuan couldn't help but gasp when the man's hand found its way up his shirt.

"S-stop!" he managed to splutter, panting for breath.

The man's palms were rough. Very much unlike Yuan's soft skin. Abandoning the kiss, the human moved his head down to lick Yuan's neck. His fingers tracing the half-elf's spine lower and lower, until they reached into his pants.

Yuan gasped again, his free hand pushing against the human's shoulder. He had to break away. Or maybe call for help.

"Kratos?"

Both men looked up sharply and Yuan blanched. He hadn't heard the restroom door open. Someone was standing outside the cubicles.

"Kratos, are you in there?"

There was a curt knock on the door.

"What?" the man called Kratos snapped, apparently greatly annoyed.

"I don't know what you're doing in there and I don't _want_ to know. I just wanted to tell you that we're leaving." The voice responded. "If you want to stay at our hotelroom, you have to come with us _now_."

"Fine." Kratos pushed himself away from the trembling half-elf and unlocked the door.

Yuan quickly moved as far into the corner as possible, making sure he wasn't seen by the man waiting outside the cubicles. Kratos gave him one last drunken grin, before closing the door again. There was the sound of fading footsteps, as both men left the bathroom. Yuan sniffed softly, sinking to the floor as he drew his arms around himself. Was this the kind of fun they had in Meltokio?

* * *

The next day, it was time for Yuan to leave Meltokio again. He had to return to Sybak's research academy. It was going to be quite a trek, especially since he had to bring a whole Wing pack filled with Zircon back for examination. 

He got quite a shock when he saw a familiar face in the Elemental laboratory's lobby. The man from previous night was standing there, leaning against a wall. Though he looked a bit more decent now, his eyes no longer bloodshot, there was no mistaking the messy auburn hair. It seemed he still hadn't found time to shave either. What was he called again? Kratos?

"What's that guy doing here?" Yuan whispered, nudging the head researcher between the ribs.

"That 'guy' is the mercenary we hired to accompany you." The man responded, frowning slightly.

Yuan wrinkled his nose, watching Kratos light a cigarette. Smoking was such a nasty habit…

"I'm perfectly capable of handling this myself." He hissed, glaring at the researcher.

"We can't risk losing our load of Zircon to a group of bandits."

"But… Does it have to be _him_?" Yuan jerked his head in the mercenary's direction.

"With all the budget cuts the royal family is placing on our research, this is the only one we could afford. I heard he's reasonably good though." the researcher shrugged faintly. "It's not for long. Just bear with him."

"But-"

"Off you go. Give your colleagues in Sybak my regards." The man shoved Yuan forward before walking off.

Yuan staggered for a moment, quickly regaining his balance. When he realized Kratos was watching him, he flushed a bright red and stared at the ground. "Ah…"

"Ready to go?" the swordsman enquired, removing the cigarette from his lips for a moment.

Yuan gave a curt nod, not looking up.

"Alright." Kratos pushed away from the wall, heading for the door.

Yuan sighed, clutching the straps of his Wing Pack. It seemed like the man didn't remember anything about last night. Unless he was pretending not to remember on purpose…

"Are you coming or not?" Kratos called from the doorway.

"Ah… Yes." Yuan gave another quick nod, stepping forward.

* * *

Soon, they had left the city of Meltokio and were headed for the Grand Tethe'alla bridge. Yuan was walking a short distance behind the human, glancing around nervously. 

"Stop that." Kratos snapped suddenly, stopping in his tracks to turn and face the half-elf.

"Stop what?" Yuan asked, slightly shocked. Apparently, his face showed it.

"That. Acting all nervous and jittery. Just because I'm a human doesn't mean I'm not up to the job." Kratos crossed his arms impatiently.

"What? I wasn't-"

"I know how you half-elves think. You think you're better than me because you have elven blood."

"No, really, it's not that." Yuan blushed slightly, holding up his hands in defence. "I don't have anything against humans. It's just that I don't travel a lot." he lied.

"Hmm… Well, I'm here to protect you now." Kratos smiled faintly.

Yuan blushed again, not quite believing that this was the same guy from last night. Maybe he had an evil twin…

"Technically, you're only paid to protect the contents of this Wing pack." The half-elf blurted out, before realizing that might've been a mistake. To his surprise, Kratos merely chuckled.

"Don't worry. When I do a job, I do it thoroughly." The man said with a grin. "You're safe with me."

* * *

((Yuan: _Am_ I, Kratos? _Am _I?)) 


	2. First Aid

((A/N: I have to say, I was completely stumped when I saw the amount of reviews on the first chapter. 11 reviews... And they were all so positive! I hope this story will meet your expectations...))

* * *

First Aid.

A few hours later, the two had crossed the Grand Tethe'alla bridge. Just when Yuan was starting to get tired, Kratos stopped in his tracks.

"It's only about an hour from here, but let's take a break." The man said, turning back to face his companion.

"Ah… Sure." Yuan lifted the Wing pack from his back and placed it on the ground, sitting down next to it.

Kratos gave a faint shrug, settling down across from Yuan. They were at the edge of a forest, trees and bushes on one side and fields on the other.

"So… Your wife must miss you." Kratos spoke suddenly.

"Hm?" Yuan looked up. "What makes you think I'm married?"

"Well, I just assumed…" Kratos trailed off, apparently realizing he must've sounded stupid.

"Sorry. Still single." Yuan smiled faintly.

Kratos raised an eyebrow before reaching for his belt, detaching a hipflask and taking a swig.

"What's in that thing?" Yuan asked, fearing the answer when he saw Kratos' expression. Apparently, it was something with lots of alcohol.

"Gin. Want a sip?" the man offered, holding out the flask.

"No thanks. I don't drink." Yuan said shortly.

Kratos gave another shrug and raised the flask to his mouth again. Just then, Yuan noticed that the man froze slightly, his eyes staring into the distance.

"What?" the half-elf asked.

"Don't turn around." Kratos said immediately. "There's a few people hiding in the bushes behind you, about twenty-five feet away."

Yuan felt a shiver run down his spine. He didn't dare make any sudden movements. "How many?"

"Three at the least. Maybe five." Kratos moved the flask to his lips again, pretending to take a sip.

"What now?" Yuan enquired nervously.

"The second I give the signal, grab the Wing pack and make a run for it. I'll hold them off." Kratos screwed the cap onto the flask again and tied it to his belt.

"By yourself?" Yuan hissed softly.

"Shhh, here they come." The man's eyes strayed to something behind Yuan, his hand moving to his sword.

The next second, Kratos had charged forward to engage in battle with at least three bandits. Yuan quickly turned, grabbing the Wing pack and pulling it into his lap protectively. It seemed like Kratos was holding out just fine on his own.

It wasn't long before a shrill shriek filled the air and one of the assailants fell to the ground. The other two immediately charged towards Kratos, attempting to strike him down. They were blocked just in time.

"Now!" the mercenary shouted, pushing them back.

Yuan could only assume that this was the signal. Not wasting any time, he crawled to his feet and ran off into the opposite direction. He didn't dare look back, holding the Wing pack close to his chest as he fled.

Suddenly, a fourth bandit loomed up in front of him, blocking the way. Yuan gasped, freezing in his tracks again. Before he even had time to dodge, he received a sharp blow to the head. Crying out in pain, he dropped the Wing pack and fell to the ground, his hands covering his face. The world started to blur.

Yuan was faintly aware of someone running past him. He was faintly aware of a body falling to the ground nearby. Someone kneeled down next him. Yuan opened his eyes, peering through his fingers to see a blur of auburn hair.

"Remove your hands." Said a voice.

"N-no." Yuan rolled onto his side, pulling his knees up to his chest as he tried to ignore the pain that originated from his forehead.

"Don't be such a child. Remove your hands." The voice said again.

"No." Yuan cringed in misery, noticing that a warm liquid was running down his fingers.

There was a loud sigh. The next second, a pair of rough hands grabbed his wrists, pulling them away forcefully. Yuan whimpered pitifully, turning his head away.

"You'll be fine. It's just a scratch." Kratos said, letting go of Yuan's wrists. "It's bleeding horribly though."

"Ow…" Yuan covered the injury with his hands again, his eyes slowly coming into focus. "What happened to the Wing pack?"

"It's right here." Kratos turned and searched his own backpack, pulling out a First aid kit.

Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. Losing the Wing pack could've seriously jeopardised his mission.

Finally, Kratos found what he was looking for. He took out a small cloth and covered it in a foul-smelling liquid. "This might sting a bit." He said softly, swatting Yuan's hands away again to replace them with the cloth.

Yuan hissed through clenched teeth in pain. 'Sting a bit' was quite the understatement.

After the wound was cleaned, Kratos tore a piece of bandage with his teeth, placing Yuan in a sitting position so he could wrap it around the half-elf's forehead. "There. Good as new."

Yuan blinked, feeling his head with a grunt. He didn't dare meet Kratos' eye.

"What? Want me to kiss it better?" the mercenary asked with a wide grin.

"Ah…" Yuan blushed a deep crimson, the images of that night in the bar's restroom resurfacing again.

"I was kidding…" Kratos said slowly, surprised at the half-elf's response.

"Y-yeah, I know." Yuan reached out to grab the Wing pack, pulling it closer. His blush still hadn't disappeared. "Let's keep going."

* * *

An hour later, the two arrived at Sybak's research laboratory. Yuan's superior, Raine, was quite shocked to hear about the bandit's attack. 

"It's a good thing we hired a mercenary then." The girl said, smiling at Kratos.

"I guess." Yuan muttered, staring at the floor.

"Here's your payment." Raine held out a small purse filled with Gald. "If we ever need a mercenary again, we'll know who to ask."

Kratos accepted the pay, a strange expression dawning on his face. Truthfully, it gave Yuan the shivers.

"Alright Yuan, take the Zircon to laboratory four for research when you're ready." Raine ordered. And with that, she strode off.

"Then… I guess this is goodbye." Yuan smiled faintly.

"Let's meet again some time, okay?" Kratos grinned cheerfully, before turning and walking off.

Yuan blushed again, lots of questions rushing through his mind. Was this really the same guy as the drunkard who nearly raped him? And why was he feeling so tingly inside? Wouldn't feelings like this only get in the way?


	3. That Night

((A/N: Oh my... Reviews from thirteen different people? Thank you so much, everyone! I didn't think this story was going to be such a hit. (more of a hit than my other stories, anyway). I'll have to try even harder to keep later chapters interesting.

As for this chapter; This is where most of the Dark themes would fit in. Ah... Yeah, this is the one. Don't read if you're below 16 years old. Or, well, you _can_, but don't hold me responsible if it creeps you out. ... Don't hate me after this one.))

* * *

That Night.

A few days later, Yuan left the research academy after working overtime again. The sun had already set, causing the town to be shrouded in a nightly glow. Feeling slightly nervous, he strode down the streets, hoping to get to his apartment as soon as possible. Something wasn't right…

He stopped walking when he heard a rustling sound nearby. Yet, there was nothing to see except an abandoned alleyway . Just as he turned to continue on his way, there was a crash behind him. The next second, a hand covered his mouth to prevent him from screaming, as an arm was wrapped around his waist from behind. Yuan's nose picked up the strong scent of alcohol immediately.

"Guess who?" whispered a hoarse voice in his ear. A voice he knew only too well.

Yuan gave a muffled gasp, struggling to break free again. For a drunk guy, Kratos sure was strong.

The human chuckled evilly, releasing Yuan's waist to grab a nearby empty bottle. Before he had time to react, the half-elf had been smacked on the back of the head. He passed out with a pained groan.

* * *

Yuan regained consciousness again, incredibly confused. The darkness told him it was still night time. How long had he been out? And… more importantly, where was he _now_? 

He sat up, holding his head. He was sitting in a bed, in a room he'd never seen before. Standing with his back to him was Kratos. What was even more disturbing was that the human seemed to be lacking a shirt.

Eyes widening in shock, he watched Kratos take a gulp from some heavy, unmarked bottle. Then the man turned to face him, wearing that creepy drunken grin again. The stubble was worse than ever and his ruby eyes were glazed over.

Kratos let go of the bottle, causing it to smash on the floor and slowly approached Yuan, who tried to back away. The half-elf soon froze again, flinching as a rush of pain was sent through his head.

The next second, Kratos had crawled onto the bed, laying down on top of Yuan. "Want me to kiss it better?"

Yuan let out a soft squeaking sound, shaking his head. Completely ignoring the half-elf's protests, Kratos leaned forward to press his lips against Yuan's, his tongue demanding entry. Yuan whined pitifully, hitting the headboard as he tried to push the man off again.

Apparently getting tired of waiting, Kratos punched the smaller man's stomach. Yuan had no choice but to open his mouth, gasping for breath. Kratos took advantage of that to roughly deepen the kiss.

Yuan shivered, disgusted by the taste of alcohol. He felt the human's hands roam his body, as if trying to find something to grasp. Was this guy always horny when he was drunk? Did he bother other people too, or just him?

The researcher breathed a sigh of relief when Kratos finally broke off, but that was soon replaced by a yelp of surprise when the man grabbed his hips, pulling him away from the headboard and onto his back.

"W-what are you doing?" Yuan stuttered, blushing heavily as he stared into those bloodshot eyes.

"Shut up." Kratos hissed fiercely, reaching out with both hands to rip Yuan's shirt. The look on his face wasn't very settling.

Yuan started to shake heavily, unsure what to do. His mind told him to try and run away. Simply punch the guy in the face and push him off, but something was stopping him. As crazy as it sounded, part of him _wanted_ it. The way that curtain of auburn hair half hid the mercenary's handsome features… To Yuan, the guy was just so damn _good-looking_.

Just then, Kratos managed to completely tear the shirt, tossing it aside. He leaned forward to kiss Yuan's neck, his rough hands straddling the man's hips. Yuan moaned uncomfortably. He couldn't go through with it. It was wrong!

"Stop!" he shouted, his eyes snapping open.

Kratos sat up again, glaring down at the half-elf. With one swift move, he slapped Yuan across the face.

"I told you to shut up."

Yuan sniffed softly. Whether he wanted to or not didn't matter at this point. It was going to happen anyway.

* * *

Far into the afternoon of the next day, Kratos finally showed signs of waking up. He stirred awkwardly, nearly cutting off Yuan's air supply as he did so. The half-elf gave an almost silent groan, shifting his body slightly to ensure Kratos' weight wouldn't suffocate him. After having his way twice last night, the human had passed out on top of him. 

Finally, Kratos pushed himself up, holding his head as he suffered from a monstrous hangover. Obviously, he hadn't quite realized the situation yet.

"Fuck…" he muttered hoarsely.

Just then, his eyes opened and he stared directly at Yuan. A strange mixture of surprise and shock spread across his face. Yuan didn't say a word, wishing he could just disappear at that very moment.

Kratos silently crawled out of bed with a blank expression, stumbling into the bathroom without looking back. About five minutes later, Yuan heard the shower running. He sighed painfully, staring up at the ceiling as he pulled the blanket up to his chin. What a mess.

Ten more minutes later, Kratos exited the bathroom again, his hair sopping wet and a towel wrapped around his waist. When he saw the half-elf, he gave a tired grunt.

"I was hoping that I was still half asleep, but it looks like it wasn't a dream." He said softly.

Yuan didn't respond, merely staring at the man with tired eyes.

"You can use the bathroom if you want to." Kratos continued, scratching the back of his head.

"I can't." Yuan whispered in a voice that was barely audible.

"Why not?" the human questioned.

Yuan stayed silent again, looking away

"Why not?" Kratos demanded, a little louder this time.

"Because I lost all feeling in my legs." The half-elf hissed angrily.

Kratos' eyes widened slightly. He sighed, approaching Yuan and pulling away the blanket before the smaller man could stop him. It was clear from his expression he immediately regretted doing that.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered after a small silence.

Yuan grunted, pulling back the blanket to cover up the bruises and dried blood.

"Will you let me carry you to the bathroom? There's a bathtub there, so…" Kratos trailed off, looking at the floor.

"Sure." Yuan replied. "It's not like things can get any worse."

Kratos leaned forward, lifting the man from the bed, bridal style. Staggering slightly to maintain his balance, he walked towards the bathroom, narrowly avoiding stepping in shards of glass that were still lying on the floor. Unable to close the door behind him, he gently lowered Yuan into the bathtub, starting the water at a nice temperature.

"There's still some towels, but… Just give me a shout when you're done so I can help you out of the tub." Kratos said awkwardly, turning to leave.

"Kratos?" Yuan called hoarsely.

"Hm?" Kratos looked back with a frown.

"… Nothing. Nevermind." Yuan glanced down at the water again. It was slowly starting to turn red with blood.

What was there to say at this point?

* * *

((Heh... Yeah. -_clears throat_- Let that be a lesson, kids. Don't walk around outside all alone in the middle of the night. Drunk Kratos might just kidnap and rape you.))  



	4. The Sad Life Of Alcoholics

((A/N: 11 reviews again? I love you guys! Enjoy the next chapter!))

* * *

The Sad Life of Alcoholics.

A few hours later, Yuan was led into the kitchen by Kratos, a large towel draped around his shoulders. By now, he had mostly regained the use of his legs, though it still 'hurt like hell'. Which was why he was leaning on the mercenary's shoulder.

Kratos lowered him into a chair, causing the half-elf to flinch for a moment. Whispering another shameful apology, he stood up straight again.

"Can I get you some breakfast?" he asked, before his eyes travelled to the clock. "Or… Uh… Lunch?"

Yuan didn't respond, staring blankly at the table.

"… I'll get you some toast." Kratos decided.

As the human wandered over to the cabinets, Yuan's eyes strayed across the room. The place was quite a mess. Empty bottles littered the floor and there was a strong smell of cigarettes. It looked like this wasn't even Kratos' apartment either. It was just a hotel room. It was only logical that travelling mercenaries didn't have true homes, after all.

"Here." Kratos placed a plate with buttered toast on the table in front of Yuan and sat down, burying his face in his hands.

Yuan stared at the toast thoughtfully. He wasn't hungry at all. In fact, he felt slightly queasy.

"I'm guessing this doesn't happen much?" he asked, glancing up at Kratos.

"It's the first time something like _this_ happened." The human sighed deeply.

"Not really." Yuan muttered absentmindedly.

"What?"

The half-elf blanched for a moment, realising Kratos didn't know the full story. "Oh, uh… The night before the Zircon shipment, we met in a bar in Meltokio. You cornered me in the restrooms, but some guy called you away before you could… cause too much damage."

"I'm so sorry!" Kratos exclaimed for what was most-likely the tenth time that day. "I mean, I've gotten into all sorts of trouble because of alcohol, but I've never…" he trailed off, blushing slightly.

"Hmm…" Yuan wasn't quite sure if he should feel flattered or not.

"I can't even begin to imagine what happened last night." Kratos buried his face in his hands again.

"So why do you drink?" Yuan enquired, tilting his head.

"Hm?" Kratos parted his fingers slightly, peering at him through the gaps.

"If you've gotten into trouble before, why do you drink?"

"Because it's all I've got." The man grunted shortly. "Alcohol helps me forget about the past. And besides… I don't know how to quit."

Yuan stayed silent, staring at his toast. Alcoholics lived truly sad lives.

"I'm guessing you're missing out on work now?" Kratos asked after a small silence.

"Hm?" Yuan absentmindedly glanced at the clock. He should've been at work almost five hours ago. Though now he had no choice but to call in sick for the day and maybe even tomorrow. He'd been working so hard for a promotion too… "Guess so."

"I'll drop you off at your house later." Kratos mumbled, looking away. "You can borrow some of my clothes."

Yuan gave a deep mental sigh, reminded that his research academy uniform had been ripped too. That'd probably come out of his pay check.

"… Okay."

"I'm sorry." Kratos whispered again.

* * *

Yuan spent the next few days in his apartment, recovering. Still, he found that he couldn't stay away from work too long, so on the third day he'd returned to his usual laboratory. 

However, as hard as he fought to prevent it, he found his mind continuously drifting. He'd often catch himself staring blankly into space, images of that night flashing through his head. Images that made his stomach clench uneasily. Which was a bad thing, right?

"Yuan?"

"Ah!" Yuan looked up with a slightly startled expression to find that he'd once again been spacing out. Even though he'd returned to work a few days ago. "Yes?"

"I asked you to look up the atomic mass of Adamantite. What is with you lately?" Kate frowned at him over the rim of her glasses.

"I'd say he's got a girlfriend." Laila said, grinned widely.

"No, it's not like that." Yuan spluttered, wandering over to a nearby book cabinet to find the data about atomic masses.

In Sybak, there were always three people working in one laboratory. It was a custom rule, since the labs were so small. Yuan's co-workers were Kate and Laila. Both half-elves, naturally. Humans never did research themselves.

Kate and Laila seemed to be complete opposites. Kate always took everything she did serious, whereas Laila joked around a lot. Still, they got along quite well.

"Oh? You've got a crush then?" Laila asked, grinning even wider.

"He's not my crush…" Yuan muttered, blushing slightly as he pulled the book from the shelf and started flipping through it.

"'He'? Did I just hear you say 'he'?" Laila's eyes widened.

"N-no! I-"

"Yuan likes men!" Laila started to cackle loudly, doubling over so that her shoulder-length crimson hair fell across her face.

"Have you no eyes, Laila? It was pretty obvious." Kate remarked calmly, causing her co-worker to laugh even louder. "Got that atomic mass yet? I need to finish this calculation."

"It's coming…" Yuan's cheeks were bright red with shame as he continued to flip through the book.

Five minutes later, Yuan moved to sit by the window, sighing tiredly. His mind was wandering again. A crush… Was that really what Kratos was to him? The mere thought was ridiculous, since the guy raped him. … Right?

'Speak of the devil…' he thought, as he saw Kratos running along the sidewalk on the other side of the street. Good thing he was up on the second floor…

Kratos seemed to be staggering slightly, which could only mean one thing. He was drunk again. Not to mention that he looked shabbier than ever.

"That? You have a crush on _that_?" Laila was suddenly standing next to Yuan, frowning as Kratos rounded a corner.

"I was just-"

"I recognise a dreamy expression when I see one. And you, Yuan, were wearing a dreamy expression." Laila gave him a playful nudge.

"Laila." Kate called from across the room. She was ignored.

"Maybe he'd look nice with a decent shave. And a haircut. But right now-"

Laila stopped talking when they suddenly saw three knights running along that very same sidewalk, glancing around apprehensively as though looking for something.

"Boy, Yuan, you really know to pick 'm!" Laila chuckled.

"Laila!" Kate called again. She was ignored.

"It's probably just a coincidence." Yuan objected.

Still, about ten seconds later the knights returned again, dragging Kratos along by his arms. Laila laughed so hard she nearly split a gut. Yuan sighed, wondering what the human had gotten himself into now. He'd said he regularly got into trouble because of alcohol.

Just then, Kratos glanced up at the research academy, immediately halting his struggles. Yuan gasped and dove away from the window.

"Hey, Yuan, I think he spotted you." Laila smirked at him.

"Laila!" Kate shouted.

"What?" the girl sighed loudly.

"Your agar is burning." Kate pointed to a large pot of agar that was boiling heavily.

Laila let out an alarmed shriek, running away from the window to turn off her Bunsen burner. Yuan shrugged, walking back to his chair to finish his work. He had more important things to think about than drunkard humans.

* * *

((I'd say that Laila is my first ever OC. (not to be confused with self-insertion, mind you.) Normally I don't support OC's, but in this case I didn't have a choice. There were no female half-elves left who could be Yuan's colleague. I could've gone for Harley, but... He's not really a research kinda guy now is he? I guess that, thinking back, I should've let Yuan's chief be an OC and Raine the second co-worker. But then we'd be missing the comedy relief. Plus, I had bigger things planned for Raine that just... didn't seem to make it to the story. ... Anyway, I'm kinda digressing.)) 

((For those who don't know, Agar is a nutrient liquid that you pour in petri-dishes so that bacteria can grow in them. Yeah, I go to labschool and wanted to show off.))


	5. The Proposition

((A/N: 14 reviews... Wow. Hey, happy (late) Valentine's day to everyone who reviewed! I love you all!))

* * *

The Proposition.

Two weeks later, Yuan returned from the market to witness quite a spectacular scene. At the moment that he was passing the inn, the innkeeper threw a bag onto the sidewalk, cursing loudly. Just like a few others, Yuan stood by the side to watch. The innkeeper went back inside for a moment and returned, dragging along a struggling man.

"And _stay out_, you _deadbeat_!" the innkeeper roared, throwing Kratos onto the sidewalk, where he landed next to the bag with a crash.

The inn door was soon slammed behind him, but Kratos made no move to get up, lying facedown on the pavement. Not too long after, the passers-by decided to continue with what they were doing. That is… except for one.

"Are you okay?" Yuan kneeled down next to Kratos, keeping a small distance just in case.

The human lifted his head slightly to peer at Yuan. "Oh, it's you." He said hoarsely. There was no wild, drunken expression on his face. Just that helpless glance of desperation.

"What happened?" Yuan asked, scuttling a bit closer now that he was sure the man was sober.

"I couldn't pay the bills anymore." Kratos shifted slightly to rest his head on his hands, still not getting up.

"Really?"

"I'm completely broke. Nobody wants to hire a mercenary these days. Especially not a _deadbeat_ like me." Kratos managed a strained smile. Yuan noticed he looked even sicker than before.

"You're not well." He commented.

"It's probably because I haven't had a drink in two days." Kratos lowered his head onto the pavement again, shivering lightly.

"Actually, I think it's the Ozette flu." Yuan spoke, recognising the symptoms.

"Whatever." came Kratos' muffled reply.

Yuan sighed, an incredible feeling of pity washing over him. It wasn't Kratos' fault if mercenaries suffered from economical stress. Ofcourse, if he actually went through the trouble of appearing professional, people might hire him. Though with all his apparent private problems, it was obvious the man couldn't care less.

Could Yuan just leave Kratos outside like this? Ozette flues weren't deadly or contagious, but in the man's current state, it just might finish him off. Plus, when he was sober the human really wasn't such a bad guy. If he left him behind now, who would be more of a crook?

"I have a proposition for you." The half-elf spoke.

Kratos gave a faint grunt to show he was listening.

"I'll let you stay at my apartment for a while. But only if promise to never drink alcohol again."

It wasn't until after he said it that Yuan realized he must've gone insane. To invite a guy who raped him into his house… It was pure madness. What was even more insane was that he didn't regret saying it at all.

"What?" Kratos pushed himself up again, sounding slightly confused. His untidy auburn locks fell across his face, hiding his true expression like a veil.

"You quit drinking for good. Get yourself cleaned up. Then, people will hire you again and you can continue travelling." Yuan explained.

"How do you expect me to keep to that promise?" Kratos snorted faintly.

"I'm getting rid of all alcohol nearby. Should I catch you drinking anyway, I'll be entitled to punish you in whatever way necessary. Perhaps I'd even report you to the local knights for assault and rape." Yuan grinned evilly.

"Why would you do that for me?" the human asked, slightly suspicious.

"Because you're not really a bad guy. It's just the alcohol that makes you that way. Which means that if you stop drinking, I can stop looking over my shoulder every five minutes." Yuan explained. It was the truth, even though it was only half of it…

"Fine." Kratos pushed himself to his feet, staggering heavily. He reached down to grab his bag, slinging it over his shoulder.

"Is that all your stuff?" Yuan glanced up at the inn again, also straightening up.

"I had a sword, but… the innkeeper confiscated it." Kratos glanced at the ground sadly.

"We'll ask for it when we can prove you're no longer a menace to society." The half-elf decided, not daring to confront the innkeeper right now.

* * *

Though, as Yuan soon noticed, having Kratos as a roommate was more than he bargained for. Two days after taking the human in, he returned to find his entire apartment filled with smoke. 

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Yuan hissed in-between coughs, immediately opening a nearby window. He crossed his arms, turning to the man who was sitting on the couch.

"I got nasty urges to find a drink. So to take my mind off things, I smoked a few cigarettes instead." Kratos said, his voice hoarser than ever.

"A _few_?" Yuan echoed, staring at the pile of buds in the ashtray. "You're supposed to be recovering from a flu!"

"Smokes never hurt anybody." The man pulled a small silver lighter out of his pocket and glanced around for fresh pack of cigarettes.

"Yes they did. They give you lung cancer and- _Give me that_!"

Before Kratos could light his new cigarette, Yuan had already snatched it from his fingers and dumped it with the others. The ashtray was soon emptied in the trashcan, along with every single packet of cigarettes Yuan could get his hands on.

"New rule. No more smoking. If I catch you with a cigarette, the same punishment as drinking applies." The half-elf spoke disapprovingly.

"Ah, come _on_. If I don't have smokes I'll go mad. No alcohol is already pushing my boundaries." Kratos scowled, sitting back in the couch.

"If you don't like it you can go outside and sleep in the gutter."

Yuan entered the kitchen, returning a minute later with a glass of water. Kratos was now lying on the couch, one hand listlessly pressed against his forehead. Yuan sighed and placed the glass of water on the table before sitting down next to him.

"How's your fever?" he reached out to move Kratos' hand away, but froze when the human swiftly grabbed his wrist.

"Don't." Kratos said in a low voice, glaring at him.

Yuan gulped, cold sweat running down his back as the images from that night flashed through his head again. He quickly retreated his hand, blushing slightly. Kratos had noticed, apparently.

"Oh… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…" the human trailed off, slightly ashamed.

Yuan pushed himself to his feet, staring stubbornly at the floor. "Drink the water and get some sleep. That's the best medicine for the flu."

"… Alright." Kratos gave a curt nod.

Yuan sighed, wandering over to his desk. He didn't have time for things like this. He had reports to write.

"Yuan?" called a weak voice.

"Hm?" the half-elf turned back one last time.

"Thanks." It was barely more than a hoarse whisper.

* * *

((Awwww... And yes, I'm pretty sure Yuan _has_ gone crazy.)) 


	6. Reflecting The Past

((A/N: 11 reviews once more! Yay! -_grouphug_-  
This chapter... Well... It doesn't really have dark themes, but it does have _mentions_ of dark themes. It also happens to be one of my favourites. After this, I'm gonna take it a bit slower with uploading, m'kay? I'm lazy when it comes down to writing, so if I were to keep this speed up I'd end up crashing into a wall called 'No more chapters'...))

* * *

Reflecting The Past.

Three days later, however, Yuan figured things were going easy. Too easy. Which was he returned to his apartment during his lunch break to check up on Kratos. He caught his new roommate, in a slight state of shock, quickly trying to hide an unlit cigarette.

"I knew it." Yuan hissed, striding over to Kratos and holding out his hand.

"I was just trying to remember what it smells like. I wasn't going to smoke it." The man said, sounding remotely guilty.

"Were you going to _taste_ it next?" Yuan questioned.

Kratos muttered something under his breath and handed the half-elf his beloved cigarette, before leaning back with a darkened expression on his face.

"Where did you get that anyway?" Yuan asked, striding over to the trashcan and throwing it in.

"It was my emergency supply. I was hiding it between my socks." Kratos shrugged, raising a hand to his mouth to muffle a cough.

Yuan produced an impatient clicking sound with his tongue, thinking deeply. "As punishment, you can start doing the dishes."

"The dishes?" Kratos repeated, his eyes widening.

"Yes. After that, you can scrub the floor and clean the windows." The half-elf continued with a smile.

"But-"

"Remember our agreement? I can punish you in whatever way I see fit."

Kratos closed his mouth again, frowning slightly. He glanced ahead blankly, completely at loss for words. Yuan gave a quick smirk before heading to the door again.

"I want this place to be squeaky clean by the time I get back tonight." He said, stepping into the hallway again. "And next time, you'll serve as my personal footstool."

"Yeah yeah." Came Kratos' response, followed by another cough.

Yuan turned back one last time before closing the door to see that the human was smiling faintly.

* * *

Still, two nights later Yuan realized he might've been underestimating Kratos' condition. As he entered the moonlit living room to get to the kitchen, he heard the man panting deeply. Silently approaching the couch, he saw Kratos curled up like a cat, shaking heavily. An odd thing, really, because it wasn't that cold. 

Yuan moved around the couch, kneeling down in front of Kratos' face to stare into wide ruby eyes.

"Why are you awake?" the half-elf questioned.

"Can't sleep." Kratos replied shortly, his expression barely changing.

"What happened to your blanket?"

"I was hot, so I got rid of it." Kratos curled up even tighter.

Yuan glanced around, noticing the blanket lying a short distance away. He sighed, reaching out to touch Kratos' forehead. This time, the man made no move to stop him. His fever had gone down for the most part.

Pushing himself to his feet again, Yuan moved to sit next to Kratos. He leaned back, watching the human from the corner of his eye.

"So why can't you sleep?" He asked after a long silence.

"Because… I remembered the past." Kratos said shakily.

"The past?" Yuan repeated, slightly curious.

He remembered that time he'd asked Kratos why he drank. The response was that it helped him forget about the past. What happened in the past that he tried so hard to forget?

Kratos shivered heavily, burying his face in his hands.

"Want to talk to me about it?" Yuan asked softly.

"No."

"It's not like I'm forcing you to do anything." The half-elf spoke. "It's just that it's been scientifically proven that talking about your problems helps to relieve stress. So it'll probably make you feel better."

A long silence followed, in which Kratos didn't respond. After a while, Yuan figured he wasn't going to. Just as he was about to get up, though, the man spoke hoarsely.

"My father was a drunkard. He regularly beat me when I was younger."

Yuan looked up sharply. "What about your mother?"

"She left a long time ago, without having the decency to take me with her." Kratos responded, his voice filled with loathing.

Yuan gulped, unsure what to say. After all, he'd asked Kratos to tell him what was wrong. There was no backing out now.

"By the time I turned twelve, he started having trouble paying for his liquor." The man continued, moving his hands away from his face to wrap them around his chest. "So he frequently invited some of his friends over and… told them they could use me in whatever way they wanted in exchange for cash."

A cold chill running down his spine, Yuan glanced down to see that Kratos was still shivering heavily, curled up into a little ball. His auburn hair hid his eyes, but the half-elf noticed that his lips were twitching lightly.

"I… I'm sorry." Yuan spoke, though he wasn't quite sure what he was apologizing for. The sinking feeling in his stomach made him say it.

"The worst part is… Now I'm turning into him." Kratos' voice cracked as he buried his face in his hands again.

"You're not." Yuan replied immediately.

A long silence passed before Kratos finally managed to pull himself together.

"What?"

"You're not him." Yuan said again. "You have the determination to quit when someone asks you to, and you take responsibility for your actions. You're not like him at all."

"… Thanks." Kratos muttered softly.

A few more minutes passed in silence, as both men were at loss for words. Finally, Yuan remembered he'd only gotten up to get a glass of water. He had to get up early to go to work, which meant he should get as much sleep as possible.

"I'm going to head back to bed." He said, making to get up from the couch.

"Ah…" Kratos looked up swiftly, an anxious expression on his face.

Yuan turned back, slightly confused. "What?"

"I… Could I just… have one sip of gin?" the man pleaded, a shadow of guilt hidden behind his eyes. "Just so I can get some rest? I… I haven't slept in four days."

Yuan's eyes widened slightly in shock. Four days was a really long time. If the man hadn't slept for that long, it was no wonder he was breaking down like this. Maybe it was a mistake to make him give up alcohol immediately.

"Sure." Yuan spoke gently, heading into his bedroom and returning with Kratos' hipflask a few seconds later. He'd locked it in there for safekeeping.

Sitting down on the couch again, he unscrewed the cap and handed the flask to Kratos, who was already sitting up, watching him closely. Yuan fought hard to ignore the slightly eager expression on the human's face. Also, the sip turned out to be more of a grateful gulp. Still, the effect was instantaneous. Kratos' ruby eyes immediately began to droop tiredly.

"Thank you."

Smiling faintly, Yuan took the flask from Kratos' hands and screwed the cap back on before placing it on the table. Just as he was about to get up again, he noticed that the human was slowly crawling closer to him, before settling down in his lap. Kratos placed his knees on either side of Yuan's legs, wrapping his arms around the half-elf's neck. He leaned forward with a yawn, burying his face in Yuan's shoulder.

Yuan froze, shocked by the sudden act of intimacy. Images of that night shot through his mind again, leaving him with a sick feeling in his stomach. Still, the sensation of the man's hot breath on his neck felt kind of good.

"Please, stay." Kratos murmured softly.

The half-elf suppressed a shiver when he felt the swordsman's rough stubble brush past his skin. Unable to control himself, he wrapped his arms around Kratos' body to return the embrace, leaning back lazily. Just sitting there like that felt strangely soothing.

"I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

((Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww...)) 

((And now we know why Kratos drinks. Well... Sorta... Poor guy. Bet you're all feeling sorry for him now, huh?))

((Favourite line of the chapter; "Next time, you'll serve as my personal footstool". I loved that line when I first thought it up, and I still love it. The mental image... So awesome!))


	7. Companionship

((A/N: 10 reviews! Hurray!

Let's see... Which chapter was planned for today? Ah yes... Something sorta cute... Enjoy!))

* * *

Companionship.

Yuan awoke to the sound of a faint beeping. It sounded extremely distant, yet it sent a deep feeling of annoyance through his gut. Scrunching his eyes, he increased his grip on the body that was still resting against his. The beeping meant something important, but he didn't want to remember what it was. A faint smile tugged at his lips when he felt the human stir, burying his face further against Yuan's neck.

It felt much too good to stay here like this. He'd been alone for such a long time now, he'd nearly forgotten what it was like to have company. Sure, he had plenty of colleagues at work, but he couldn't allow himself to get close to them.

Finally, the annoying beeping disappeared again, causing the half-elf to slip into dreamland once more.

* * *

After what seemed like only a few seconds later, Yuan slowly opened his eyes. Sunlight was already streaming in through the window. Still groggy, his eyes strayed across the room, coming to rest on a small clock. It was half past nine in the morning. 

Yuan raised a hand to his mouth to stifle a yawn, careful not to wake Kratos. Then a thought struck him and his eyes widened in shock.

"Dammit!" he shouted, completely forgetting that he didn't want to wake his companion.

"Huh?" Kratos lifted his head from Yuan's shoulder, moving back to come face to face with him.

"I should've been at work more than an hour ago!" Yuan groaned, rubbing his forehead tiredly.

"Oh…" Kratos' expression remained blank. Obviously, the man was still half asleep.

"Would you mind getting off me then?" Yuan asked after a small silence.

"Oh!" Kratos snapped awake, quickly crawling off the half-elf's lap. He moved to the other side of the couch, yawning widely.

Yuan hastily hopped to his feet, grabbing some clothes from his wardrobe before hurrying into the bathroom. He took a quick shower and got dressed as fast as he could, trying to brush his teeth at the same time.

He'd never been late for work before. The chief was going to _kill_ him. Then again, maybe he wouldn't get caught. It'd certainly be better. Being late would be recorded in his employee files.

When he exited the bathroom five minutes later, he noticed Kratos was staring at him with what could only be described as an interested expression.

"What?" Yuan asked, tilting his head.

"I don't think I've ever seen you with your hair down…" Kratos pondered.

"My hair…" Yuan repeated blankly, before it finally sank in. "Whoops."

He hastily returned to the bathroom to grab his hair tie. Binding his blue locks into a ponytail, he headed for the door and grabbed his suitcase. There wasn't any time to make lunch for himself. He'd have to buy something at the cafeteria.

"Get some more sleep, okay?" he said, turning back to Kratos one last time before closing the door behind him. He didn't bother to lock it. He hadn't done so in all that time Kratos had been staying with him. He knew the human wasn't going anywhere.

* * *

Luckily, nobody except Kate and Laila had noticed that Yuan was late that day. Though they made sure to rub it in his face as often as possible, he knew they didn't care. Life in the laboratories continued as usual. 

Meanwhile, Kratos' condition was slowly improving. He was starting to look healthier and more alive, but Yuan knew that deep inside he was still aching for a cigarette or a drink. Still, since the night he'd fallen asleep in Yuan's lap, he had shown no signs of it.

Two weeks later, the half-elf came home to find Kratos reading one of his books. By now, the mercenary's eyes no longer looked tired. His cheeks were no longer sunken and his hair was less messy. Still, the stubble remained, making Yuan wonder if the guy even knew how to shave properly.

"I'm home." Yuan set his suitcase filled with papers down on his writing desk before stretching out his muscles.

"Welcome back." Kratos responded, smiling lightly as he continued reading.

"I see you finally discovered my book cabinet." Yuan sighed, though he was actually a bit amused. He'd never thought of Kratos as a guy who would _read_.

"Staring at the ceiling all day and pitying myself was getting a bit old." The man chuckled.

"I suppose." Yuan took a seat next to him, trying to peek at the page Kratos was reading. "Which book is it?"

"I don't know the title." Kratos shrugged mildly. "I read the first page and it seemed interesting so I kept reading. Something about a soldier who has to infiltrate a group of smugglers."

Yuan grinned, instantly recognising the story. That book was one of his favourites too. Particularly because of the nice plot twists at the end.

"Yeah, that one is pretty good." He spoke, remembering the first time he'd read it.

"I hope you don't mind me reading it without permission." Kratos said softly.

"That's okay. As long as it keeps your mind off drinking." Yuan smiled, leaning back lazily. Work had been such a pain today…

"Hmm." The human stubbornly kept his eyes on the book.

Blinking in confusion, Yuan wondered why the man seemed so uncomfortable around him. He'd looked uncomfortable since the morning after the incident. That was normal then, right? It was a pretty awkward situation they were in now, after all. But then… why wasn't Yuan uncomfortable too?

Perhaps it was because the man who was sitting next to him right now was a completely different person. Sure, they looked the same, but they acted completely different. He even suspected that if Kratos were to have sex with him now, he'd be gentle and careful.

Yuan flinched for a moment, mentally slapping himself for thinking of something like that. It'd be completely inappropriate. After all, Kratos was a male human who couldn't possibly love him in that way, right? Still, Yuan couldn't think of a reason why he wouldn't want it himself. He had a strange gut feeling that he liked Kratos more than just a friend. So he mentally slapped himself again.

When he chanced another glance at the human's face, however, he felt his cheeks grow hot. That sort of thing was happening more often lately. Maybe he was just coming down with something…

"I'm gonna go take a shower." Yuan pushed himself to his feet again before looking at Kratos one last time.

"Alright." The human swiftly turned a page of the book. It was almost as if he was desperate to finish his reading, not wanting to let anything get in his way.

Sighing, perhaps a bit disappointed by the lack of response, Yuan made his way to the bathroom and locked the door. He didn't notice the way Kratos stared after him for a few moments, before shaking his head dismissively and forcing himself to turn his attention back to his book.


	8. Mercenary Make Over

((A/N: 9 reviews! w00t! Thanks so much to all you loyal readers/reviewers out there.))

* * *

Mercenary Make-over.

"No."

"Return that sword, _now_. If you keep it, you're nothing more than a common thief."

"I said, no. That man thrashed up my inn way too many times. I'm keeping the sword as damage compensation."

Yuan was standing in the hall of Sybak's inn, having a heated conversation with the owner. Kratos was standing behind him, glancing at the two nervously. Yuan had decided it was time to ask the innkeeper about Kratos' sword, that was confiscated just before the human was thrown out. Sadly, the innkeeper seemed rather reluctant to let it go.

"Yuan, just let it go. I can get a new sword." Kratos muttered, casting his gaze to the floor.

"No." Yuan hissed at him, before turning back to the innkeeper. "Look, I could always report you to the authorities."

"Like they'd listen to a half-elf and a drunkard." The man snorted in response.

Yuan heard Kratos growl deeply and prayed to the gods that the human wouldn't lose his cool. If he went around beating people up now, he'd probably never get a job anymore.

"Fine, you want damage compensation? How does two-thousand Gald sound?" Yuan asked, crossing his arms.

The innkeeper gave a booming laugh, causing both men to cringe. "Hah! I could get at least five-thousand by selling it to the nearest weapon store. And that's without haggling."

"Alright. Seven-thousand." Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly as he glared at the innkeeper.

"Yuan, what are you doing?" Kratos hissed softly.

The innkeeper was starting to get a bit annoyed, casting another glance at the sword that was lying on his desk before turning back to the half-elf before him.

"Tch. Go bother someone else with your-"

"Ten-thousand. That's my final offer." Yuan said firmly, ignoring the gasp that originated from behind him.

His eyes widening slightly, the innkeeper gave a startled grunt. For a moment, he seemed to be torn apart between his sadistic nature and a whole heap of money. He seemed to settle for the latter, however, as he reached out to grab the sword and practically threw it at Yuan's head.

"Take it. If you don't pay me by next week, I'll know where to find you." The man clenched his fists in a threatening way.

"Don't worry. Unlike others, _I_ keep to my word." Yuan responded coldly, turning to leave.

As they stepped onto the pavement, Yuan pushed the sword into Kratos' hands dismissively. Ten-frickin-thousand Gald it had cost him, but at least now the human had his sword back.

"Yuan… Why did you…" Kratos began, not quite sure how to finish his question.

"You do want the sword, don't you?" Yuan asked, watching the man stare at his weapon.

"Yes, but…" Kratos ran a finger across the blade before sheathing his trusty sword again. "Ten-thousand Gald… Do you even have that kind of money?"

"I've been saving up for a few years now." Yuan looked away. He'd actually been planning on spending that money on other things. A quiet life after he quit his job. Then again, ten-thousand wasn't _that_ much, right?

"I'll pay you back. I promise!" Kratos spoke, a streak of guilt hidden in his voice.

"Ah, no, that's okay." Yuan turned to keep walking. The last thing he wanted was for Kratos to think he was in his debt.

"… Thank you." The human muttered softly.

* * *

A month had passed since Kratos moved into Yuan's apartment, so now it was time for the man to prove himself as a mercenary once again. He'd have to go out there and find a job. But first… 

"Shave." Yuan demanded, crossing his arms.

"But why? I always figured stubble made me look tough." Kratos frowned lightly, running a hand over his chin.

"Well… no." Yuan scratched the back of his head in a thoughtful way. "You're giving off the impression that you can't even handle a razor, let alone a sword. People aren't very inclined to hire a savage."

"Gee, thanks." Kratos gave him a small glare.

"Look, it's nothing personal. I know you're more than up for the job, but you've got make sure other people think that too. You do want to continue being a mercenary, right?"

Of course, Yuan wasn't too happy to see the stubble go either. He kinda liked the way it looked. Sadly, there was no other option right now. Kratos needed a job to boost his confidence, so sacrifices would have to be made.

"Alright. Fine." Kratos said through clenched teeth, before disappearing into the bathroom.

Yuan sighed, watching him go before sitting down on the couch. The man seemed so edgy nowadays… It was completely impossible to say what he was thinking. Other humans could be read like a book. But he supposed Kratos was just special in that way. Maybe that was what made him so interesting.

About five minutes later, Kratos emerged from the bathroom again, rubbing his chin absentmindedly.

"Well? Let's see it." Yuan pushed himself to his feet again to get a better view.

Sighing, Kratos removed his hand to reveal the smooth skin. Yuan's eyes widened slightly in wonder. Without the facial hair, Kratos suddenly looked _years_ younger. Also, Yuan couldn't help but think that he looked a bit more handsome. Surely, people would consider hiring him now.

"I feel strangely naked." Kratos muttered, staring at the ground.

"You look… wonderful!" Was all Yuan could say.

"No I don't. I look way too innocent. Mercenaries are supposed to look strong and intimidating." The man shifted on his feet restlessly.

"Where did you get an idea like that?" Yuan stepped forward to observe Kratos closer. "Besides, your hair still gives you a bad boy look."

Before he even realized what he was doing, Yuan had reached out to move a few auburn locks out of the way, staring deeply into Kratos' eyes. They seemed to be filled with confusion, as both men literally stopped breathing for a moment. Yuan's fingers moved down to stroke the mercenary's smooth cheek. The half-elf felt his heartbeat increase, images of that one night rushing through his mind's eye again.

Suddenly, the confusion in Kratos' eyes was replaced by something else. Something unreadable. One hand roughly grabbed Yuan's wrist, wrenching it tightly. Even when he tried to pull back, Kratos did not let go. The grip was starting to become painful.

"K-Kratos…" Yuan pleaded softly.

This seemed to snap the human out of his current state. A shocked expression flushing over his face, he quickly let go of Yuan's wrist again.

"I'm sorry." He said, looking away to stare at the ground again.

"That's alright. I'll uh… I'll go and cook dinner." Yuan hastily retreated into the kitchen, wanting to avoid an awkward moment. Still, when he peeked into the living room again he saw Kratos sitting down on the couch, burying his face in his hands.

'Why won't you let me get close?' the half-elf thought sadly.

* * *

((Awww... No more stubble... -_pout_-)) 


	9. Pain

((A/N: Uwah... Sorry for the long wait in updates this time. I've gotten writersblocked for most stories I'm working on and I've really got to force myself to write anything these days. So in order to keep that 'no chapter wall' at a distance, the updates got even less speedy than before. Ehehehe...

12 reviews, unless I'm very much mistaken. Wowza. Thanks everyone! Uhm... I see the opinions about Kratos' stubble really seemed to vary. Some people liked it, others did not. Still, without the stubble he is always hot, so... this is the best mediation. No stubble.))

* * *

Pain.

Only a few days had passed since Kratos had returned to the job of mercenary. Yuan had gotten quite a surprise. He thought it might take weeks, or even a month before Kratos would find an employer. He was wrong.

Entering his apartment and dropping his suitcase next to the door, Yuan nearly bumped into a very excited looking Kratos.

"I got a job!" the man said, grinning widely.

"Huh?" Yuan raised an eyebrow, before turning back to close the door behind him.

"I got a job. Someone decided to hire me."

Yuan blinked, unable to recall a time when he'd ever seen Kratos so happy. In fact, the man never seemed happy. This was quite a change.

"Are you serious?" he asked, unable to keep the surprise from his voice. "What kind of a job is it?"

"Oh, you know… Just some standard transport mission." Kratos ran a nonchalant hand through his hair. "But that's besides the point."

"That's great!" Yuan smiled at him.

"Yeah. When this is over, I'll be able to pay you back for everything!" Kratos was still grinning widely.

"Ah… No, you don't have to do that."

Yuan glanced at the ground, feeling slightly disappointed. If Kratos paid him back, then that would mean that the human was free to go. He knew he couldn't keep Kratos here forever, but this was just a painful reminder that he'd have to watch him leave soon.

"I want to." Kratos spoke firmly. "I'm grateful for everything you did for me, so I want to pay you back for it."

"If you insist…" Yuan looked up at him, trying his best to smile. "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow." Kratos responded, suddenly glancing at the far wall.

"Tomorrow? So soon?" Yuan felt his heart sink.

"Well, there was a bit of a hurry. I think that's why they hired me." Kratos' smile faltered for a moment. "But it's a good chance to boost my reputation, right?"

"Uhm… Yeah." Yuan nodded shortly.

Tomorrow… Kratos was going to leave tomorrow and he'd probably never come back…

"You don't look too happy." The man commented.

"Oh, well…" Yuan trailed off, unsure what to say.

"I thought you'd be glad to see me leave." Kratos gave a small shrug.

"No!" the half-elf shouted immediately, looking up at him. "I like having you around, so… It hurts me to watch you go."

Kratos' eyes filled with sadness and disappointment at those words. He sighed deeply, looking away. "So I end up hurting you again."

Yuan blinked, realization dawning on him. Kratos was feeling guilty because of what happened that night. No, perhaps it was something even deeper than that.

"It would be better for you to just let me leave." The human continued.

"It wouldn't. Because… if you leave… I'll be left with a gaping hole in my heart." Yuan replied in a soft voice.

"Broken hearts can heal." Kratos said shortly, still not meeting his eyes.

Yuan shook his head desperately, stepping forward to wrap his arms around the human's chest. He had to get Kratos to understand. He had to open the man's eyes and make him see what was right in front of him.

"Why do you have to be so stubborn? Why can't you see that I care about you?" he muttered.

"Yuan… Let go." Kratos' voice was starting to shake.

"I won't. Not until you see sense." Yuan increased his grip.

"_You're_ the one who isn't seeing clearly." Kratos placed his hands on the smaller man's shoulders, trying to push him off. "It's too dangerous to have me around."

"You're wrong!" Yuan practically screamed. "You're not the man you were back then! You wouldn't do those things you did. Because… Because I changed you!"

"Yuan…" Kratos broke off when he saw the half-elf staring up at him again.

"If you don't want to hurt me anymore, then all you have to do is make sure you don't cause me any more pain. You just have to keep to your promise. That's all."

Perhaps it was to show Kratos his feelings, or perhaps it was just to shut him up before he could reply, but the next second Yuan leaned up to capture the man's lips with his own. Even when Kratos helplessly tried to push him away again, Yuan did not move. He couldn't fail this mission. He _wouldn't_.

At last, he felt Kratos' mouth open, deepening the kiss. The hands that were resting on his shoulders moved down as a pair of strong arms carefully wrapped themselves around the half-elf's back. Yuan instantly had the sensation of his stomach doing a flip-flop.

When they finally broke off, both men were left panting for breath. But not for long. Yuan wanted more. Much more. Moving his head to kiss the man's neck, he slipped a hand underneath Kratos' shirt, stroking the soft skin.

"Yuan…" The swordsman spoke again, his voice soft and quivering lightly.

Yuan responded with a quiet 'hm', nuzzling Kratos' shoulder before pulling back and taking the man's right hand in his own, trying to lead him to the bedroom. Kratos followed, though his face was marked with insecurity.

"Don't worry." Yuan whispered, not meeting his companion's gaze as he opened the door. "Even if you do hurt me by accident, I won't mind. I can handle a little pain."

"Are you sure?" Kratos blinked, gazing around for a second. This was the first time he'd seen Yuan's bedroom.

"Positive." The half-elf turned to smile at him, closing his eyes so that Kratos wouldn't see the slight shimmer of doubt. Even though the man had changed now, there was no telling if or when he'd touch another glass of alcohol, and what would happen if he did. Trust could be easily shattered, after all.

Then again… Would he mind if Kratos raped him again? A little voice deep down said that he didn't care how he got Kratos into bed, as long as it actually happened. Perhaps he even liked to be abused, in a way…? How stupid.

Forcing such thoughts from his head, Yuan guided Kratos closer to his bed and sat down, pulling the man into his lap. Their lips meeting in another kiss, Kratos used one of his hands to untie Yuan's hair, letting it fall freely. The half-elf giggled softly when he felt fingers brush past his extra sensitive ears.

Soon, clothes were tossed carelessly across the room. Shirts… Pants… Underwear… But Yuan didn't mind. He could pick them up later. At the moment, he was too busy enjoying Kratos' touch. Locks of auburn hair, tickling his skin. A tongue running past his collarbone. But, most importantly, a pair of rough hands, moving down his sides.

He was right to think everything would be different this time. The wild, drunken look that had been present in those ruby eyes that night was gone, to be replaced by devotion. Instead of hitting Yuan and forcing entry, Kratos treated him as if he were something frail, that could break at even the slightest misplaced touch.

It was pure bliss.

Sadly, Yuan didn't realize the catch until he was lying in the man's arms, resting his head on his chest and trying to catch his breath again.

"I'll come back, you know." Kratos ran a gentle hand through the half-elf's hair. "When I finish the mission."

"You will?" Yuan's face lit up.

"Yeah. Because this place is my home now." Kratos spoke, holding him closer.

"I'll still miss you while you're gone..." Yuan gave a small pout.

Kratos chuckled lightly, placing a kiss on his forehead. A pleasant silence followed, as Yuan slowly began to doze off. Just then, he heard words that caused his heart to freeze.

"I love you."

Panic spreading through his body, Yuan stared blankly ahead. Kratos _loved_ him? This was a problem. A big problem. Even after the man would return to Sybak. Lovers weren't supposed to keep secrets for each other, but Yuan couldn't tell him everything. One day, the mercenary might come home to find an empty apartment. No, the chances of that happening were growing larger by the day.

"… Yuan?"

Yuan glanced up at him, staring deeply into those dark eyes. The words had passed his lips before he'd even realized he was saying them, though he instantly knew they were true.

"I love you too."

* * *

((Mmm... Implied lemon and weird foreshadowing? What does this mean? We-eh-elll... You'll have to keep reading to find out. ... And review. Reviewing might motivate me to defeat my writersblock.)) 


	10. Ruins

((A/N: Phew, another update. That stupid writersblock still hasn't really disappeared.  
Anywho... Ten reviews! Thanks everyone!))

* * *

Ruins.

"_Dear Yuan,_

_Words can't describe how much I miss you, so I'm not even going to try and write it down. I can only hope that you miss me too, but you're probably enjoying the peace and quiet. _

_We arrived at our destination today and I'll be leaving again tomorrow morning. Nothing worth mentioning happened along the way, so I'm guessing the trip home will be just as uneventful. Also, I'm proud to say that I stubbornly ignored every café I encountered._

_I'll be home again soon, I promise. Then we can celebrate my first successful mission since you 'reformed' me. _

_Love, Kratos_."

Yuan smiled, placing the letter on his desk again. He'd read it at least fifty times by now, but he couldn't help himself. Right now, this letter was the closest connection to Kratos he had.

It'd been almost two weeks since Kratos left on his mission. It'd been two days since his letter arrived in Yuan's mailbox. If Kratos left one day after the letter then perhaps… This meant that the human would be back soon.

Sighing, Yuan looked out the window. It was late in the evening and it was raining. Not a very good combination, as it made sure that the streets outside were horribly dark. Lamp posts were lit, but it did little good.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a sudden pounding on the door. At first there was a slight wondering of who it could be at this hour, but then he figured that it must be Kratos. Feeling hopeful, he got to his feet. The pounding continued dully.

"I'm coming!" Yuan called, his hands already unlocking the door.

Finally, he managed to open it, only to be shoved aside as a soaked figure hurried into the room. The man fell to his knees with a deep grunt, shaking heavily. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

"Kratos, what-" Yuan began, but he was cut off.

"Close the door!"

The half-elf stared at his friend, slightly shocked. Then he noticed the flow of blood running down Kratos' side, creating a small puddle on the floor.

"What happened?" he asked softly.

"_Close_ the _door_." Kratos growled again, more forcefully this time.

Yuan sidestepped to push the door shut with one hand, before kneeling down in front of the human and trying to stare into his eyes. This proved to be difficult, as Kratos kept his head bowed, his teeth gritted in pain. It was hard to tell whether the water running down his face was a stream of teardrops or raindrops.

"What happened to you?" Yuan tried again.

"… I was found." The man replied shortly.

"Found? By who?"

Kratos merely responded with another agonised groan, clutching his wounded side. Yuan blinked before reaching out to lift him to his feet.

"Come on. Let's get you to the couch." He said, pulling the mercenary's arm around his shoulder.

When he was sitting comfortably, Kratos leaned back, breathing deeply. Yuan leaned over him to assess the damage. It seemed like a stab wound from a sword or maybe a spear, though it wasn't anything life threatening.

"You look terrible." The half-elf stated with a sad smile, placing the palm of his hand against the stubble that had returned in the course of two weeks.

"Thanks." Kratos leaned into the touch, closing his eyes tiredly.

"I thought it was just a simple transport mission." Yuan enquired.

Kratos didn't respond, though his breathing halted for a moment. Just when Yuan was about to press the matter further, there was a harsh knocking on the door. Kratos' eyes snapped open immediately. A small silence followed, as Yuan cast him a quizzical look.

"In the name of the Pope, open this door!" someone called from the hallway.

"What the-" Yuan turned, but he was stopped when Kratos grabbed his hand, holding it tightly.

"Yuan, I love you more than anything. Don't believe a word they tell you." The human spoke, a note of urgency in his voice.

"I don't understand." Yuan stared deeply into those ruby eyes, trying to make sense of the situation.

There was a loud crashing sound as the door was broken down, giving both men a start. Three Papal knights stormed into the room, clutching their spears aggressively.

"Gotcha! Thought you could hide out in the researcher's apartments eh?" One of them barked.

"Kratos Aurion, you're under arrest in the name of the Pope and our King!" Another grunted, striding forward to grab Kratos' arm and pull him off the couch.

The man immediately cried out in pain, struggling madly and at the same time trying to keep his hold on Yuan's hand. It was to no avail, as the other two soldiers joined in to help restrain him. Soon after, his fingers were wrenched from Yuan's palm and his arms forced behind his back. Still, Kratos didn't stop his fighting, screaming loudly.

"It wasn't me! I was framed!" He hollered.

"Shut up." The first knight slammed his spear into Kratos' injured side, warranting a nice cry.

"Are you alright?" Another one of the knights turned to Yuan for a moment.

"I… Y-yeah." Yuan was still stuck in shock and confusion.

"Good. We had to chase this guy all the way from Ozette. It's nice to finally put him behind bars." The soldier gave a content sigh.

"Ah… What are the charges?" Yuan asked, his voice shaking lightly.

"Conspiring against our King." It was clear to see that under his helmet, the knight was giving Kratos a disgusted look.

"Wasn't… Me." Kratos gasped, still attempting to shake off his capturers.

"Well, let's get going." The knight completely ignored Kratos' words as his colleagues started to carry the prisoner away. "Sorry about the… mess."

Just like that, Yuan was left standing in the middle of his living room. The front door was kicked down and a trail of blood ran over the floor, leading all the way to the couch. Still, this was nothing compared to the ruins in Yuan's confused heart.

* * *

The next day, Yuan wasn't quite able to concentrate on his work as he kept staring blankly into space. 

"Yuan, careful! That's sulphuric acid, you know!" Kate called, just in time to prevent the distracted half-elf from adding water to the extremely dangerous fluid.

"Oh, it is? I could've sworn it was sucrose…" Yuan stared at the test tube for a moment, before emptying the contents in the sink.

"He'll be the death of us all!" Laila called, backing away overdramatically.

"I'm sorry…" Yuan stared blankly at the drain, watching the acid disappear.

"Is it because Kratos got arrested?" Kate asked calmly.

"You heard?" The blue-haired man looked up at her.

"Are you kidding? _Everyone_ heard!" Laila exclaimed. "Though Kratos is mostly portrayed as a psychopathic human on the rampage who wants to murder his own king, and finally got captured when he tried to hide in your apartment." she chuckled. "I wonder how much of it is true."

"I ask myself the same question." Yuan sighed sadly.

"Why don't you go visit him in jail?" Kate suggested.

"I… don't know. I guess I should." Yuan bit his bottom lip anxiously. A small silence followed. "What, _right now_?"

"Go on. We'll cover for you." Kate smiled at him, pushing her glasses further up her nose.

"Yeah! If this keeps up, innocent people might get hurt. By which I mean us." Laila added.

"Thanks girls." Yuan gave them a quick grin, before running out the door.

* * *

((Suspense? I dunno... Maybe... Oh, how often Kratty gets himself into trouble...)) 


	11. The Runaways

((A/N: This chapter was reuploaded on the 15th of February 2008 because it had broken down, and a few words have been altered while I was at it. ... Enjoy?))

* * *

The Runaways.

Yuan entered Sybak's dungeons, shivering slightly because of the cold. He drew his arms closer around himself, peering into the cells. Most of them were empty. Finally, he reached the one he was looking for. Kratos was sitting in a dark corner, leaning back against the wall and staring blankly at the floor. Sighing miserably, Yuan stepped towards the iron bars.

"Hey." He said softly.

Kratos looked up at him through weary eyes. A small smile appeared on his face. "I was wondering when you were going to come and visit me."

"Hmm…" Yuan dropped the bag he was carrying and sat down in front of the cell. He stared at his companion with a grave expression. "Kratos, did you really conspire against your king?"

"No." the man replied desperately. "Of course not! I told you not to believe them. I was framed!"

"By who?" Yuan enquired.

Kratos bit his bottom lip, looking away. "Cruxis."

A cold feeling rushed through Yuan's body. At the moment, the world was divided into three main factions. The first group consisted of the arrogant humans who thought they controlled the world. The second group was that of the elves, who mostly kept to themselves in their holy land of Heimdall. That just left the half-elves, who weren't allowed to fit into either of the other two categories. A lot of them worked in research facilities to do the humans' dirty work. But they didn't complain. As long as they would be left alone, it was fine by them.

There was one group of half-elves, however, that was different. Refusing to aid the humans, they had gathered to create a land of their own. Though both the human king and the leader of the elves knew of their existence, neither did anything to stop them.

How could Kratos get involved with something as dangerous as Cruxis? More importantly, why?

"What kind of mission were you on?" he asked, hoping the human would answer truthfully this time.

"An assassination mission." Kratos whispered.

The cold feeling continued to spread through Yuan's body.

"What?"

"I was hired to assassinate Yggdrasill. They offered me plenty of Gald for it. So… I headed to Cruxis' base. But before I could get to Yggdrasill, I was spotted." Kratos rested his head on his hand, staring at the ground with a miserable expression.

"Who hired you?" the half-elf questioned.

"I don't know… Some guy. He said he was from an organisation called the Renegades. He wouldn't give me his name."

"Why did you accept a shady mission like that?" Yuan asked softly.

"Because… I wanted to use the money to pay you back." the man's voice broke lightly.

"Kratos…" Yuan crawled a bit closer to the bars, reaching out to him.

Kratos looked slightly shocked for a moment, before another smile dawned on his face. Clutching his side with one hand, he moved from his corner to sit next to the bars, holding Yuan's hand in his own.

"I missed you…"

Yuan practically felt his heart melt at those words. He blushed, chuckling softly, before retreating his hand. It was now or never.

"Can you stand?" he asked.

"Huh? I think so." Kratos looked down at his injury for a moment. It had been bandaged up, but blood was still soaking through the cloth. "Why?"

"I'm getting you out of there." Yuan pulled a large keyring out of his pocket, a sly grin tugging at his lips.

"Where did you get those?" Kratos asked, his eyes widening.

"Let's just say there's one guard upstairs who won't be too happy when he wakes up." Shrugging lightly, Yuan got to his feet and started looking for the right key. When he finally found it, he shoved it into the lock and opened the door.

"Are you sure about this? If they find out you released me…" Kratos trailed off.

"By the time they find out, we'll be long gone." Yuan unzipped the bag he brought with him, pulling out a neat white uniform. It was a standard outfit for researchers. "Put this on."

"You…" Kratos merely stared at the uniform, lost for words.

"Come on, there's not much time." the half-elf glanced around, noticing that the other prisoners were starting to edge closer to their bars as well, some even calling out to them.

After a moment's hesitation, Kratos staggered to his feet, accepting the clothes. He quickly wrapped an arm around Yuan's neck, holding him close.

"Thank you."

Yuan was caught in surprise for a moment, before pushing the human away. "Save it for later."

* * *

"That sure took you long enough. When we said we'd cover for you we didn't-" Laila broke off when she saw that Yuan hadn't returned alone.

"Yuan…" Kate was wearing a slightly alarmed expression.

"I'm sorry girls." Yuan spoke hastily. "Could you please take care of him for a while?"

"Well…"

"_Please_." Yuan urged. "If anyone asks, he's a colleague from Meltokio. Just make sure his ears are hidden."

Kate and Laila exchanged a quick glance, before nodding.

"Alright. But you'd better hurry back soon." Kate said, getting up to lead Kratos to a nearby stool.

The human's face contorted in pain, but he didn't make a sound. Yuan cast him a concerned gaze before handing him his sword. They'd broken into the weapons room to steal it back, before heading for the laboratories.

"Stay here, alright? I need to return to the apartment to pick up some belongings and make sure the roads are clear." Yuan ran a hand through Kratos' hair before turning to the door.

"Yuan, wait…"

"I'll be right back." The half-elf said without looking back.

* * *

Sure enough, Yuan returned an hour later, a large bag slung around his shoulder. By then, the alarms had already started to sound. The sirens echoed through the streets of Sybak, causing all the inhabitants to peek out their windows curiously.

"Looks like they found out you're missing." He said, quickly closing the door behind him again.

"Yuan, it's not too late. If I hand myself over to the authorities now, they won't know you got involved." Kratos spoke softly.

"Don't be stupid. We're going to find those Renegades and get them to clear your name. We're in this together now." Yuan moved to the window to stare outside, watching a troop of soldiers march past the building.

"But I don't want you to get into trouble."

"They've closed off the city gates." Yuan sighed deeply, ignoring the man's words. "Well, it doesn't matter. We can enter the sewers and follow the water all the way to the ocean."

"Then… You really are leaving?" Laila asked, pouting lightly.

"Afraid so." Yuan turned to face his colleagues, smiling softly. "Thank you for everything you've done, girls. Maybe we'll meet again some day."

"I hope so." Kate gave a curt nod. "Good luck on your journey."

"Bye Yuan!" Laila grinned at him, though it was different from her usual, spontaneous grins. This one seemed almost sad.

Giving one last wave of his hand, Yuan helped Kratos to his feet and out the door. He knew the day would come when he'd had to leave Sybak's academy, but it still hurt. It was the only true home he'd known in years. Still, he was willing to give it all up for Kratos.


	12. Changes

((A/N: -_sigh_- Okay, since I talked about it on my LJ I guess I'd better say it here too. Just to reply to something that I know _everyone_ is thinking, and only a few people have had the guts to say... I _know _Yuan is acting OOC in this fic. I am fully aware that he is acting like a girly, ditzy, way too friendly, super uke. It pains me that I'm losing readers because of this. (If I have to believe the review count, _half_ of the readers to be exact...) Please, just... Trust me when I say that I know what I'm doing.))

* * *

Changes.

_Drip._

The two quickly made their way through the damp halls of the sewers, Yuan leading the way. It was almost as though he knew exactly where to go and where to step.

_Drip._

Kratos was still wearing the research uniform, coinciding with a slightly bemused expression. One hand was clasped tightly over his wound as he tried to make sure he didn't fall behind.

_Drip._

The only sounds echoing off the walls were their footsteps, accompanied by occasional dripping or the scurrying of frightened rats.

"Yuan?" Kratos asked, finally breaking the silence that had fallen ever since they left the laboratories.

"Hm?" The half-elf didn't look back, instead keeping his eyes on the path before him.

"How do you know where to go?"

A small silence followed, as Yuan didn't respond. He merely frowned.

"I mean… How do you know we're not going in a circle?" Kratos tried again.

"Because the ocean is straight ahead. So if we go left, we need to take the next path to the right." Yuan said simply.

"Ah… Of course." Kratos replied, sounding as though he felt very stupid all of a sudden.

"Do you need a break?" The half-elf turned back to face him, eyeing him up and down.

"Nah. I just want to get out of here as soon as possible. This place reeks." Kratos managed a faint chuckle.

"Hm… Alright then." Yuan continued walking, wondering if the man was going to be alright. If he needed a doctor, that would be a big problem. They were both wanted people now, after all.

* * *

After what seemed like an eternity, the duo finally stepped into the fresh air, once again. They were standing a few miles outside Sybak's city walls. The smell of sea water reached Yuan's nose, causing him to breathe it in contently. He hadn't seen the beach since he was a small boy. 

"Where do we go now?" Kratos asked, sounding a bit helpless.

"We're going…" Yuan glanced around, deep in thought, before pointing towards the mountain range. "That-a way."

"Why _that_ way?" the human questioned.

"Because we should get as far away from Meltokio as possible." Yuan shrugged. "Besides, Ozette should be in that direction. Maybe we can find someone there who knows about the Renegades."

"If you say so." Kratos sighed, rubbing his injured side.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"I told you, I'm fine." The man grunted, trudging off into the direction Yuan had chosen.

Yuan blinked before following. Already, the sun was starting to set. They had one, maybe two hours before nightfall.

"Don't you think we should seek shelter? I mean… It's going to turn dark soon and we have to get some sleep." The half-elf said, purposely not mentioning the fact that he mostly wanted Kratos to rest.

"Seek shelter? In an open field?" Kratos laughed tiredly.

"Well… There is _that_." Yuan pointed to a small cottage that was barely visible in the distance, just off the edge of a forest.

"What? I don't see anything." Kratos squinted slightly.

"I guess your human eyesight doesn't reach far enough…" Yuan said with a frown.

"Hmm…"

"If we start moving now, we can get there before the sun sets." Yuan continued.

"Lead the way." Kratos spoke softly.

* * *

By the time the two made it to the small house, their surroundings were already bathed in the glow of twilight. Yuan sighed in relief. If they'd had to walk any longer, they might have collapsed. 

"Let's stay in there for the night." He suggested, pointing to a worn-out shed behind the house. Kratos shrugged in reply.

Yuan frowned for what might've been the twentieth time that day. It unnerved him how distant the human was acting towards him. When he first met Kratos, the sober version anyway, he was a completely different person. Compassionate and trying to lighten the mood with bad humour… Now he was horribly cold. But… That probably had to do with the fact that he was injured and running away from the law.

Not saying a word, Yuan led the way to the shed, passing a locked stable along the way. The door was standing slightly ajar, so he simply opened it. He wasn't bothered by moral thoughts. They could get up early in the morning and the owner of the house would never find out.

"This place smells like mould." Kratos commented, standing in the doorway.

Yuan had to admit, the man had a point. This place really needed a good cleaning. The ground was covered in heaps of hay, some even reaching a foot from the ceiling. It'd have to do.

"Not much of an improvement from the sewer, eh?" Yuan asked with a mild smile.

Kratos made a sort of grunting sound in reply, walking forward and sitting down in the nearest jumble of hay. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. Yuan closed the door before joining him.

"You're in pain, aren't you?" He leaned forward to examine Kratos' wound.

"For the last time-"

Kratos' objections were cut short when Yuan used both hands to turn his face, kissing him on the lips. The human relaxed slightly, but still didn't do anything to return the gesture.

"You have to stop lying to me. It's a bad habit." Yuan said when he finally backed away.

"Then I guess you'll have to add that one to the no-alcohol no-smoking list." Kratos smiled faintly.

"Agreed." Yuan nodded. "The same rules apply, which means that the next time I catch you lying, you're in for one hell of a punishment."

"Heh. Got anything in mind yet?"

"The words 'Atomic wedgie' come to mind." Yuan pondered, a wicked smirk appearing on his face.

Kratos chuckled under his breath. "You still haven't changed one bit, have you?"

Yuan remained still for a moment, looking away. "No, I guess I haven't."

Not noticing the sudden change in Yuan's behaviour, Kratos raised a hand to his mouth, yawning widely. He shifted to lie down on his back, a groan passing his lips.

"We'd better get some sleep then…" Yuan muttered, hoping it would do the man good.

"Mmmhmm…" Kratos replied tiredly.

Sighing, Yuan shifted to make himself more comfortable in the hay, before lying down as well. He stared up at the ceiling, listening to the wind that was roaring outside, rattling the windows. Sure, a lot of things had changed. But some remained the same. They were on this journey together now, and Yuan was glad for the company.


	13. Strangers

((A/N: Sorry for the lateness of the update. I'm afraid that the updates will only continue to get later, though. My writersblock has reached an alltime height, causing me to blocked for every single story I have. Ouch. I'm still hoping it'll be solved soon, but a friend of mine advised me to take a break from writing completely. -_sigh_-

Anyway, 8 reviewers! Nice!))

* * *

Strangers.

The next morning, Yuan was awoken by a creaking sound. His eyes snapped open, but he didn't dare move a muscle just yet. Light was already falling into the shed through cracks in the roof.

"Ah…"

Yuan slowly sat up to stare at the girl standing in the doorway. She looked to be about twelve years old. Her bushy pink hair was tied back in two pigtails and she wore an expression of mild shock. Her light blue eyes were focussed on Kratos, who was still fast asleep by Yuan's side. Then, she looked up and beckoned Yuan to follow her outside. She didn't look angry, nor scared.

Careful not to wake Kratos, Yuan slid down the stack of hay and stepped outside, leaving the door ajar. The girl was waiting for him a little distance away.

"Why are you sleeping my shed?" she asked, sounding mildly curious.

"I'm sorry." Yuan began. "I… We needed a place to spend the night so…"

"Then why didn't you ask at my house? It's rude to just enter people's sheds." The girl cocked her head to the side.

"It was really late. We didn't want to wake anyone up." Yuan lied. "We'll continue travelling as soon as possible."

"What's with your friend?" the girl cast a quick gaze at the shed.

"What about him?"

"He's injured." She stated simply.

"Well… We had a little run-in with some bandits." Yuan lied again. "He'll be fine."

"Not if you keep travelling. He needs rest." The girl crossed her arms, frowning.

"We don't have time to rest. We need to get to Ozette. Besides, there are no inns around." Yuan replied, sighing.

"You can stay here until your friend is fit to travel. In exchange, you can help me with my chores."

Yuan blinked, slightly startled by the sudden proposition. "Are you serious? But… What about your parents?"

"My parents… are dead." The girl cast a cold gaze at the ground.

"I-I'm sorry." Yuan stuttered. "Then… Are you living all by yourself?"

Smiling sadly, the girl looked up again. "Yes. But it's okay. I'm continuing my father's work and my sister sends me money too. She's doing her best for my sake."

"I see…" Yuan glanced around, unsure what to say.

"Anyway, are you staying here or not?" the girl demanded.

It was a tough decision. If they stayed in one place too long, the Papal knights might find them. Then again, if they continued travelling, Kratos' injury might slow them down. And since this place was so remote, maybe the knights wouldn't search for them here.

"As long as it's not too much trouble." Yuan said softly.

"Not at all." The girl smiled at him. "Oh, my name is Presea Combatir."

"That's a nice name." Yuan grinned back. "My friend's name is Kratos Aurion, and I'm Yuan."

"You don't… have a last name?" Presea enquired.

"Ah… No. Half-elves hardly ever have last names." Yuan gave a sad sigh.

They both looked up sharply when a agonized scream reached their ears. It came from the shed. Yuan's heart skipped a beat in fear.

"Kratos!"

Running as fast as possible, Yuan entered the shed to witness quite a strange sight. A large, wolfish creature had apparently climbed onto the haystack and was now standing on Kratos. Or, more specifically, one of its big paws was standing on Kratos' injury. The man was trying desperately to push the creature off, but it seemed to interpret that as playing, as it gave a happy bark.

"Noishe! Come here!" Presea shouted angrily, causing the creature to look up.

Its large ears drooping slightly, it turned and jumped down, approaching the girl with its tail between its legs.

"Bad boy!" Presea told it dismissively, causing it to whine softly.

Not wasting any time, Yuan climbed the haystack to kneel next to Kratos. The man's breathing came in pained gasps, his eyes wide with shock. Though he had his hands pressed over the wound, blood was flowing between his fingers.

"Shhh… It's okay." Yuan placed a hand on Kratos' forehead, brushing a few locks out of his face.

"W-what was that thing?" Kratos moaned.

Yuan cast a quick glance at the wolf-like creature. Its fur was white, with light green tufts. To be honest, he had no clue what that thing was.

"I'm so sorry. Noishe normally doesn't like strangers." Presea said.

"Ugh…" Kratos closed his eyes, breathing deeply.

"Damn… Your wound opened up again…" Yuan moved Kratos' hand away to get a better look. The injury appeared to be even worse than before.

"I'll get some bandages from the house." Presea walked out the door, dragging Noishe along by the scruff of his neck.

Sighing, Yuan ran his hand through Kratos' hair in a soothing way. He figured that maybe he should get some water from the well next to the house, but at the same time he didn't want to leave the man's side.

A few minutes later, Presea returned with First aid kit. She clambered onto the haystack, gazing at Kratos with a thoughtful expression. Then she opened the kit and started rummaging through it.

"I don't think he needs stitches or anything, but we need to clean up the wound or else it might get infected." She pondered.

"You're really smart for your age, aren't you?" Yuan asked, mildly surprised.

"I am?" Presea looked up with a nostalgic smile. "When you're living alone, you have to know these kind of things."

"I suppose." Yuan admitted. Still, he couldn't get over the fact that this girl was probably almost as mature as he was.

Presea pulled a few rolls of bandage, a towel and a small bottle out of the kit before closing it again. "I don't have anything else that could be useful, so this'll have to do. We still need some water to soak this towel in and then we can start cleaning away some of the blood."

"I'll go get some." Yuan grabbed the towel, moved to the edge of the stack and started to climb down. Though he had to do so very reluctantly, he knew he had no choice now.

Casting a quick glance around to see if the coast was clear, Yuan slowly stepped into the cold morning air again and approached the well. The bucket was already lowered into the water. All he needed to do was pull it back up. As he was doing so, his thoughts drifted back to Kratos.

What if the bandages weren't enough? What if Kratos was going to die anyway? He knew it wasn't really his fault that the man had gotten hurt, but indirectly he felt like he was to blame. Because Kratos went through all that trouble and put his life at stake… for _him_. If Kratos were to die now… he'd be all alone again. That was unacceptable.

There was a soft thud as the bucket reached its maximum height. Yuan snapped out of his thoughts and reached out to grab it. He was going to do his best, for Kratos' sake and for his own.

* * *

((Yes, okay. It's weird for a little girl to trust complete strangers. I know. Ugh... Don't ask.)) 

((I originally wanted to use Chocolat for this part, but it didn't _quite_ fit in with the story. So I used Presea instead, making it less believable...))


	14. Fugitives

((A/N: 10 reviews! Hyuuu! Now, I want to comment on something a lot of people mentioned in their review. Presea's personality. Keep in mind that this is an AU fic. Presea was never experimented on, therefore never got in contact with a Cruxis crystal, and still has her emotions. She's quiet and calculative by nature. Yup.))

* * *

Fugitives.

After taking care of Kratos' injury, the man was moved into the spare bedroom of Presea's house. Because there was only one bed, Yuan would have to sleep on the floor, but he didn't mind. It was fine as long as Kratos was comfortable.

As it turned out, Presea was an artisan of sorts, continuing the work her father had done. People from all around would place custom requests for furniture, as the Combatir name ensured fine craftsmanship. The fact that this reputation was now carried by a twelve year old girl boggled Yuan's mind.

Still, it wasn't as strange as the wolfish creature that went by the name of Noishe. When Yuan asked Presea what kind of animal he was, the girl admitted that she didn't know either. She'd found him in the nearby forest of Gaoracchia when he was just a pup.

Even though Kratos and Yuan now had a place to stay, Yuan still had to keep to his own part of the agreement. This is why every day, while Kratos was in bed recovering, Yuan would go into the forest with Presea to help her chop wood. It was almost frightening how well the girl could handle an axe. The thing was almost as tall as she was, yet she lifted it with ease. Whenever Yuan pulled a muscle, she'd say that his wood-chopping technique was wrong.

Yuan felt uneasy, leaving Kratos behind at the house like that. Noishe needed to come along to the forest to pull the cart, so he couldn't keep watch over the man either. There really wasn't that much of a choice then, was there?

* * *

About six days after being taken in by Presea, Yuan dragged himself into Kratos' bedroom, his muscles aching terribly. He wasn't cut out for work like this.

"Another tough day?" Kratos smiled lightly, looking up from the book he'd been reading. Presea had lent it to him.

"Don't even get me started…" Yuan sighed.

The half-elf felt something furry brush past him, and the next second Noishe was sitting next to Kratos' bed, resting his head on the blankets with a hopeful expression. Kratos chuckled before scratching it behind its ears. Noishe yipped happily.

"I still don't get why that thing likes you so much." Yuan spoke grudgingly. "It always gives me the cold shoulder."

"I've always been good with animals." Kratos shrugged. "That's why you couldn't resist me either."

Yuan laughed, taking a seat on the other side of Kratos' bed. "Hey, is that the thanks I get for taking care of you?"

"I'm sorry. It was just too easy." The man grinned slyly, wrapping an arm around his companion.

Yuan made a content sound, leaning into the embrace. He couldn't get too close, because of Kratos' injury. Still, a loose hug couldn't hurt.

"So, how was your day?" he asked, his eyes sliding shut.

"Oh, you know. The usual. I was bored out of my mind."

"Poor you…"

"You're not sympathizing with my pain at all, are you?" Kratos asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Might be because I would give anything to trade places with you. Lying in bed all day sounds really good right now." Yuan let out another sigh.

Kratos laughed again, holding the half-elf a little closer. Just then, a loud knocking drifted through the house. Someone was at the front door. Yuan froze, listening intently to hear Presea's footsteps in the hallway. A low creaking sound indicated that she'd opened the door.

"Can I help you?" came Presea's voice.

"Are your parents home, kid?" a gruff voice asked.

"I'm an orphan." Presea's reply was horribly blunt.

"My apologies. Then perhaps you can help us. You see, we're looking for two fugitives."

Yuan's breath stopped short, his eyes widening. The Papal knights… Presea didn't know that Kratos and himself were on the run. If she found out, surely she'd tell the knights where they were hiding.

He looked up at Kratos, noting that the human was bearing an anxious expression as well. Being as quiet as possible, Yuan pushed himself up from the bed and moved into the second floor hallway, making sure to stay hidden as the conversation downstairs continued.

"Fugitives?" Presea enquired.

"Yes. Perhaps you've seen them. Here's a list of their descriptions."

There was the rustling of paper and a small silence. Yuan fidgeted nervously. Maybe they should try and escape through the window in the back of the house while they still had the chance. But then, with Kratos still being wounded, that might not be a good idea.

"They are presumed to be armed and dangerous." The knight added, which only made the situation worse.

"What are their crimes?" Presea's voice was as even as always.

"For both of them? Plotting against his royal Highness, assaulting an officer on duty, refusing to be apprehended on several occasions, escaping a federal dungeon, thievery, leaving Sybak without proper authorisation… Also, the human has quite a long history of petty crimes and uproar causing." The Papal knight gave an annoyed sigh.

"I see…" Presea paused for a moment. There was another rustling sound, which indicated that she'd returned the description list.

"Our resources speculate they would most likely be heading for Ozette. They left Sybak a week ago, so they should have passed by here." Another male voice spoke.

Yuan felt his stomach drop. Oh lords, there were more of them. Perhaps even a whole squad. Presea was going to tell them. They were doomed.

"I'm sorry, but I haven't seen them."

Yuan fought hard to stifle a gasp, mildly confused. Presea was protecting them? But… Why?

"Are you sure?"

"Perhaps we should search the house. They could be hiding here." The second knight spoke.

"Yes, that is true." The first knight agreed.

"That seems illogical to me." Presea said simply. "If they left Sybak about a week ago, why would they still be so close to the city? I'd think they would be in Ozette by now."

"I suppose the girl has a valid point."

"Fine, we'll move on." The other knight give a sigh. "Keep your guard up, kid."

There was the clinking sound of armour, indicating that the knights had left. The door closed again and soon Yuan could hear Presea coming up the stairs. She rounded a corner and turned to face him. She didn't seem angry, nor shocked or upset. Just like the time they first met, she had a calculating look on her face.

"We need to talk." She said shortly.

Yuan lowered his head, following Presea into Kratos' room without any resistance. If they explained everything to her, she'd probably understand and let them stay. On the other hand, if she threatened to go back and alert the Papal knights… Well… Yuan wouldn't allow that.


	15. Inner Secrets

((A/N: Wheee 9 reviews wheee!

The uploaded chapters are really starting to catch up on the written chapters now. I need to sit down and write several chapters some day soon, because this is getting crazy. Sadly, the writersblock is still not completely gone...))

* * *

Inner Secrets.

Quietly, Yuan sat down on the bed by Kratos' feet, glancing up at Presea with a blank expression. She moved to stand in front of them and crossed her arms.

"You two are fugitives?" she asked simply.

"Yes."

Yuan figured that he might as well answer the girl's questions truthfully. Any crime that the knights had pinned on them could be justified, plus, she deserved to know.

"Did you conspire against the king?"

"No!" Kratos tried to sit up a little straighter, but ended up cringing in pain.

"Then, am I right to assume that you escaped the dungeons because you were unrightfully accused of this crime?"

"Actually, Kratos was accused of the crime, so I helped him escape." Yuan shrugged, before Kratos prodded him in the side painfully. "Ow! What? It's true, isn't it?"

"What about attacking an officer on duty and thievery?" Presea enquired.

"Well, I guess I did knock the guard unconscious…" Yuan thought deeply. "And if by thievery they mean springing a guy out of jail, then yes, I did that too."

"You also stole the jail keys and a uniform for researchers." Kratos added with a mild smile.

"I see…" Presea's eyes seemed to shimmer for a moment.

"Now, let me ask you a question." Yuan turned to the girl before them. "Why didn't you tell the knights we were here?"

"The second they said you two were armed and dangerous, I knew something was wrong." Presea said. "Besides… Papal knights and I don't get along well." She added in a whisper.

Yuan exchanged a quick glance with Kratos, who looked just as confused as he was.

"You never wondered how my father died?" the girl asked.

Yuan shook his head nimbly, as did Kratos. Sure, it was strange that Presea was living on her own, but certainly not uncommon. Many children could end up as orphans.

Presea sighed, leaning back against the wall. "A few years ago, men from Cruxis came here. They wanted something custom made, but my father refused to build it for them. Even after they threatened to kill him, he still wouldn't comply. My sister and I sought help from the Papal knights, but… They ignored our pleas. Most likely, they were afraid of Cruxis."

Yuan felt a cold feeling sink through his body, watching the anger reflected in Presea's eyes. None of the humans wanted to get involved with something like Cruxis. A band of murdering, thieving half-elves. It was only logical to be afraid of something like that, wasn't it?

"A few days later, our father was murdered." The girl glared at the ground coldly.

"I'm so sorry." Yuan said, and he heard Kratos mutter something along the same lines.

"That's alright." Presea managed a strained smile. "He wouldn't have wanted us to halt our lives because of it. That's why my sister moved to Altamira to find a better job, while I continued the Combatir legacy."

"I think you're very strong, managing all by yourself." Yuan spoke, hoping to cheer her up.

"I'm not by myself. I have Noishe, remember?"

Noishe gave a small yip, still sitting by Kratos' other side.

"Well, I'd better go prepare dinner." Presea pushed away from the wall.

Yuan blinked. "Then… You're not kicking us out?"

"I promised you could stay here until Kratos is better, did I not?" Presea asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ah…"

Presea left the room, closing the door behind her. Yuan let out a breath of relief, falling back on the bed. They were safe. For now, anyway. Then, a thought hit him.

"Hey, so what's with the long history of petty crimes and uproar causing?" Yuan asked with a grin.

"… Let's not get into that." Kratos coughed mildly and looked away.

"Aww, come on. You can tell me."

"I'm pretty sure you saw a preview of that in Sybak. I got into trouble quite a few times there." The human blushed slightly in shame.

Yuan chuckled, remembering the time he saw Kratos being chased by knights. Back then, he was bothered by the same question that was floating through his head right now.

"But what exactly did you _do_?"

"I'm taking that secret with me to the grave." Kratos grinned slyly.

Yuan pouted. "Don't be like that. I promise I won't laugh."

"If I said that I don't remember, would you believe me?"

"No, because I'm sure the knights would tell you _all_ about what you did the second you woke up from one of your drunk frenzies." Yuan smiled up at him.

Kratos looked up, staring at the door with an interested expression. "Oh, I think I hear Presea calling. You'd better go see what she wants."

Unable to help himself, Yuan broke into a fit of laughter. Somehow, being with Kratos always made him feel comfortable. Something he hadn't felt for many years.

"Nice try, but I'm not falling for it." Yuan pushed himself into a sitting position. "Still, I'm feeling generous today. I'll let you off the hook for now."

The half-elf turned, crawling closer to Kratos and gently placing his arms around the man's neck so that the two could exchange a kiss. The mercenary made a content sound, running his fingers through Yuan's hair before breaking off.

"Don't think I'm giving up though." Yuan grinned at him before getting up from the bed and leaving the room.

In a way, he couldn't help but feel like a hypocrite. He demanded to know everything about Kratos, yet there were many things Kratos didn't know about him. Too many.

* * *

Yuan arrived in the kitchen to find Presea peeling potatoes by the table. He sat down next to her, watching the girl handle the knife with ease. 

"Need some help with that?" he asked. It was kind of a stupid question, but he needed to ask since he was in her dept.

Without saying a word, Presea handed him the knife and a potato.

"… Okay..." Yuan muttered before starting his work.

"Where are you two going to go after this?" Presea asked.

"Ozette. We need to find information about the Renegades."

"The Renegades? Why?" Presea raised an eyebrow.

"To make a long story short, they're responsible for the mess we're in. So we need to get them to find a solution." Yuan removed the potato's skin easily before moving on to the next one.

The way he explained it now, it sounded rather stupid. Getting the Renegades to solve a mess they probably won't even feel responsible for. Yet, they had no other choice right now.

"It just so happens that I have a friend who is a member of the Renegades." Presea spoke.

"What?" Yuan looked up at her, frowning.

"His name is Genis. He usually hangs around near Ozette, so if you go there you'll probably find him." Presea smiled at him, before getting to her feet and wandering to the kitchen counter.

Yuan turned his gaze back to the potato he was peeling. Genis from Ozette…

"When you're done with the potatoes, you can cut this up." Presea placed a large piece of broccoli on the table next to him.

Yuan groaned deeply. He despised broccoli.

* * *

((Hahah, yeah, well... I couldn't think of a better ending, okay? XD)) 


	16. Ozette

((A/N: I am so sorry! My fanfiction life still hasn't quite been repaired. ... Okay, it's in a bit of disarray. I really do want to write Deception, but I either can't find inspiration or I'm working on other fics. Sorry! -_pout_-

Anyway, seven reviews for last chap! Woohooh! Thanks for living with my irregular updates!))

* * *

Ozette. 

Over two weeks passed, as Kratos' condition continued to improve. It wasn't long until he was wandering the house and even going outside from time to time. Yuan constantly told him to keep his guard up, because those Papal knights could still be around. Kratos constantly replied not to worry, because he wouldn't roam too far from the house and was always wearing a long cloak with a hood to cover his face.

After their last talk, the topic of the Renegades didn't come up anymore between Yuan and Presea. Yuan did not really see a reason to ask about it again, besides, they were far too busy with their chores.

One day, Presea returned home, clutching her mail. Because the mailman didn't deliver outside the city, the girl was always forced to get her mail from the nearest post office, which was located in Sybak. This time, she came home looking rather distracted. As though she wasn't quite sure what to think.

"What's the matter?" Yuan asked, immediately noticing something was amiss.

"I got a letter from Alicia… My sister." Presea glanced at the envelope in her hand. "She's getting married to duke Bryant, the noble she works for."

"That's good news, isn't it?" Kratos gave her an encouraging smile, sitting back on the couch.

"I suppose, but…" Presea hesitated for a moment. "She's asking me to leave this place and move to Altamira, so she can take care of me. She wants me to… give up father's business."

"Even though she knows how important it is to you?" Kratos raised an eyebrow.

Presea nodded softly, biting her bottom lip. "She said that we can't live in father's shadow any longer. That we should grow up and find our own paths."

"I think she has a point." Yuan spoke up. "You can't stay hidden away from the world forever. You need to go and see what's out there for yourself. Family name or no family name."

"Do you think so?" Presea cocked her head to the side.

"Yeah. You could always start another carpenter job in Altamira if you want. Then again, the future could have something better in store for you. You'll miss that opportunity if you don't accept your sister's offer." Yuan said wisely.

"You're right." The girl smiled at him, seeming more assured. "I'll leave for Altamira when Kratos has fully recovered."

There was a small silence, until a thought appeared to have struck Presea. She slowly opened her mouth to speak. "But… I can't take Noishe with me."

Both men immediately looked up.

"Why not?" Kratos asked.

"Altamira is an island and pets aren't allowed on the boat. If I want to go, I'll… have to leave him behind."

Almost as if it could understand the conversation, Noishe gave a soft whine from the corner. Then it approached Presea, brushing its head past her leg, hoping to be petted. The girl smiled sadly, running a hand over its soft fur.

"Could you… take him with you?" she asked, looking up at Kratos and Yuan. Though she seemed more focussed on the human. "You're the first ones Noishe's actually got along with. I'm afraid to leave him with a stranger."

The two exchanged glances, unsure what to say. Then again, could they really deny a request from a girl who had taken care of them for such a long time?

"Sure. We'll look after him." Kratos replied with a grin.

Presea leaned down to pet Noishe's head again. "… Thank you."

* * *

Another week later, they decided that Kratos was well enough to travel again. It was time for the two to bid farewell to the girl who had taken them in for such a long time. All precious possessions had been gathered and packed up, as Presea was to leave for Altamira the next day. 

"Then… I guess this is it?" she gave the two a faint smile.

"Yup. I guess so." Yuan nodded awkwardly.

"Thank you for everything you've done." Kratos added.

"It was my pleasure. Just make sure to take good care of Noishe for me." Presea's voice almost seemed to imply a hidden threat.

"Don't worry. The mutt will be fine with us." Yuan spoke, before getting nudged in the ribs by Kratos. Presea, on the other hand, laughed softly.

"Good luck finding the Renegades."

"Thanks."

The two turned to leave and Kratos produced a clicking sound with his tongue to get Noishe's attention. The creature glanced back and forth between the man and Presea, seemingly a bit confused. Presea made a vague 'shoo'-ing gesture with her hand. Whining one last time, Noishe turned and followed its two new masters in the direction of Ozette.

* * *

"What does he look like again?" Kratos asked in a hushed voice. 

"He's a small half-elf with white hair." Yuan whispered.

Currently, the two were sitting in the shadows of a building in Ozette, keeping a close eye on the town square. Noishe lay next to them, yawning widely. It had taken them three days to reach Ozette but because of their wanted status, they were forced to hide from the villagers.

"This is crazy. We've been here for hours. He's probably not going to show himself today." Kratos complained, leaning back.

"Never say never." Yuan smiled, pointing just ahead. In between the crowd a small boy appeared, carrying a large shopping bag filled with fruits and vegetables. Many people shot him a look of disgust, but he either didn't notice or didn't care.

"That's him? But he can't be older than thirteen!" Kratos' jaw dropped.

"Then we probably shouldn't underestimate him. Looks can be deceiving, after all." Yuan got to his feet, motioning for Kratos to do the same.

Cautiously, they pulled their hoods over their heads and left the shadows, followed by Noishe. They pursued Genis down a narrow path, leading away from the square. Soon, they encountered no more people. Suddenly, the boy began to speed up his pace. Faster and faster, until he started to run.

"He's on to us!" Kratos hissed.

The two started to sprint like mad, trying to keep up with the boy who was now hopping over walls and making sharp turns. Still, as fast as they went, they were easily overtaken by Noishe. The wolf-ish creature shot past them, skidding around a corner before bounding forward. A loud scream followed.

Kratos and Yuan peeked around the corner to see that Noishe had jumped on top of Genis, two large paws placed on the boy's shoulders.

"Noishe! Down!" Kratos called, causing the creature to whine sadly, moving away from the small half-elf.

"Noishe?" Genis scrambled to his feet, dusting himself off before staring at Noishe. "Hey! I haven't seen you since you were a pup!"

Noishe barked happily, its tail wagging.

Genis smiled, before looking up at the cloaked men before him. "If you two are with him, then… Presea…"

"Presea is fine. She's going to live with her sister in Altamira." Yuan said immediately.

"Altamira… Wow…" The boy seemed distraught for a moment, before giving the two another suspicious glance.

"Oh, right, we haven't introduced ourselves. I'm Kratos Aurion and this is my friend Yuan."

Still, Genis continued to peer at Kratos in a calculative way, before turning to Yuan.

"A human?" he asked.

"Yes." Yuan shrugged. "But that's not important. Presea said you're the one talk to regarding…" he glanced around to see if anyone was near, then dropped his voice to a whisper. "The Renegades."

Genis blinked innocently, before giving a firm nod. "You heard correct. Follow me."

With that, the boy snatched his grocery bag from the ground and walked off. Kratos and Yuan exchanged glances and followed.

* * *

((Genis! Yay!)) 


	17. Trusting You

((A/N: I live! For those of you who have been waiting all this time, I'm so sorry. Writing Deception is really hard for me, and this is the last chapter I've written at all. That's right. We've hit the no-chapters wall I was dreading.

Still, no worries! As soon as I've rounded up a few other stories, I will try to pick this up again. I expect that to be about a month from now, if nothing weird happens. I'm considering looking for a summer job and life's still pretty hectic anyway. Blabla, enough excuses. Point is; Next update might be within a month, but no promises.

Thanks for all the reviews and sticking by me all this time!))

* * *

Trusting You.

"Do you want a drink or something?" Genis asked, dropping his groceries on a chair as they entered his kitchen.

"Ah… No thanks." Kratos replied, while Yuan shook his head.

"Suit yourself." Genis shrugged and let himself fall into a chair.

Yuan and Kratos exchanged a quick glance, before taking a seat as well. Noishe lay down underneath the table, yawning widely. The house they were in was rather small and remarkably tidy. The scent of delicious food seemed to linger in the hall and kitchen.

"The Renegades… What do you need to know?" Genis leaned forward, glancing at them both.

"Well, for starters… Where can we find them?" Yuan enquired.

"I could lead you to them…" Genis spoke slowly. "But why would you need to see them? Thinking of joining? Humans are always useful in the ranks."

"Ah…" Kratos shifted in his seat.

"Actually, it's a bit of a long story. To make it short, they employed Kratos about a few months ago for an assassination mission. Sadly, he was caught and now we're both wanted by the Papal knights." Yuan explained.

Genis seemed to be fighting hard to suppress his laughter, but ended up failing miserably. "Let me guess… One of Cruxis' big chiefs?" he asked in between chuckles.

"Yggdrasill himself." Kratos said curtly.

"Whoah… Well, you can take comfort in the fact that you're not the first one who's failed." Genis smiled faintly at him. "But anyway, what do you think the Renegades can do about it?"

"Renegades have spies just about anywhere, don't they? Presea told me about that. Can't they… You know… Make our wanted status disappear?" Yuan asked.

"I'm not sure…" Genis glanced out the window, looking like he was thinking things over. "You'd have to ask the leader. He might take pity on you."

Yuan narrowed his eyes in a glare, not liking the way that kid was grinning at him. It was almost like he was patronising them.

"Then, will you take us to him?" Kratos didn't seem all that fazed by Genis' attitude.

"Sure. You two seem like nice guys." The boy shrugged. "But you'll have to wait here for a few days."

"Why is that?" Kratos enquired.

"I can't just leave this house behind. I need to wait for someone to relieve me." Genis spoke casually. After seeing the blank looks on his guest's faces, he heaved a deep sigh. "What are you? Stupid? You don't think this is _my_ house, do you? This is a Renegade hideout. To prevent it from being taken over by the wrong crowd, we need to have someone living inside it all times."

"I see…" Yuan leaned back, glancing around the little cottage again.

Well, after meeting Presea, they wouldn't be surprised if this _was_ the kid's house. After all, if a twelve-year old girl could live by herself in the middle of nowhere, why couldn't a small boy do the same? Especially if he were a member of the Renegades.

"When will someone come to relieve you?" Yuan asked.

"Like I said, a few days from now." Genis replied impatiently. "They should've been back by now, but something came up. Lucky for you, I guess. Otherwise, I'd have returned to the base by the time you got here."

The boy pushed himself to his feet and started rummaging through his groceries again. Noishe looked up at the rustling of the bag, but soon laid his head down again.

"So, do I need to make you dinner or not?"

"Uhm… Sure." Yuan blinked.

"You're awfully trusting, aren't you?" Kratos said, peering at Genis with a mild frown.

"And you guys seem to enjoy making me repeat stuff." Genis looked up, an expression of light annoyance in his features. "You seem nice. And if you know Presea…"

"How can you be sure we didn't kill Presea and stole her dog?" the human pressed.

"He's not a dog. I think he's a-" Genis broke off when he met Kratos' gaze. He smiled lightly and shifted on his feet, crossing his arms. "Look, I'm not going to lie to you. You did seem suspicious at first. But I'm a great judge of character. If a fellow half-elf and a human come to me for help, who am I to turn them down? If Noishe can trust you, I can too."

Kratos made a doubtful sound, but didn't pursue the matter any further. Genis seemed content with that, and continued to unpack the vegetables. "You can go find a guest room, if you want. There's two of them on the second floor and a smaller one on the first floor."

"We'll go upstairs." Yuan said, grabbing his bag and getting to his feet. Kratos did the same.

Just as they made to leave the kitchen, Genis stopped them with one last piece of advice. "If you're going to share a bedroom, keep the volume down. I don't care what you guys do, but I need to get my sleep. If you get noisy, I'm kicking you out."

Yuan turned to notice that the boy was frowning at them, though the corners of his mouth were twitching to suppress a smirk. From the corner of his eye, Yuan saw that Kratos was blushing lightly.

"Will do, kid." He spoke with a smile, before heading into the hallway and up the stairs. Kratos hesitated, before following.

They made their way through the second floor hall, peering into the rooms. A bathroom… A room with several bunk beds…

"Hey, this one has a double bed." Yuan said, heading into the second guest room. He dumped his bag on the mattress before stepping towards a nearby cabinet and opening it. Though the bed had two pillows, it lacked a blanket.

"Shouldn't we take the other room instead?" Kratos asked, standing in the doorway.

"Why?"

"Well… You know… This one has only one bed…"

"So?" Yuan cocked his head to the side. "Just because we haven't slept in the same bed for a long time, doesn't mean we shouldn't do it anymore."

"I guess…" Kratos entered the room as well. He sat down on the bed, glancing around the room blankly for a moment. "Have you seen my hipflask?"

Though Kratos no longer drank alcohol, he couldn't bring himself to get rid of his old hipflask. There wouldn't really be a point in that anyway, because it was still in perfectly good shape. Now, it was used to hold water.

"It's in my bag." Yuan closed the cabinet again with a sigh. "No blankets anywhere… I'll have to take some from the other room."

With that, he headed into the hallway and entered the first guest room. After searching those cabinets as well, he realized he had no choice but to take two blankets from the bunk beds. His arms filled with cloth, he returned to the other room to find Kratos kneeling next to his bag.

"Yuan?"

"Hm?" Yuan dropped the blankets on their bed and turned to face the human.

"What's this?" Kratos held up a small, black jewellery box.

Yuan's eyes widened slightly, yet he forced his face to appear as blank as possible. "Oh, that's just some old trinket. I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it." Immediately, he strode forward and snatched the box from Kratos' hands. "Did you open it?"

"Ah… No." Kratos blinked.

"Okay." Yuan gave a faint smile, slipping the box into his pocket. Then he returned to his task of making the bed.

Kratos paused for a moment, before reaching into Yuan's bag to take his hipflask. Without another word, he headed downstairs. The half-elf sighed deeply. Kratos shouldn't know what was inside that box. Not yet… It wasn't that he didn't trust Kratos. He trusted the man completely. It was the fact that he'd have to explain himself if Kratos found out. Something he did not want to do just yet.


	18. The Renegades

((A/N: OMG, she lives? Yeah, she lives. Just wanted to let you all know that I'm still writersblocked. I wasn't really planning on uploading this chapter, actually, but I noticed that a couple of people recently faved this story and felt kinda obligated. I finished this chapter _months_ ago, so... No biggie. Also, I fixed chapter 11, which seemed to be broken.

If you forgot what the story was about... You could either go back and reread a bit, or enjoy this spiffy little summary; Kratos is now ex-alcoholic mercenary and Yuan is ex-researcher. Both are on the run from the Papal Knights cause Kratos was framed by Cruxis. They're looking for the Renegades so those guys can settle everything. After spending some time with Presea, they went to Ozette to meet Genis. And that's where they are right now. In a Renegade house. With Genis. ... Yeah.

Oh, and I _am_ working on chapter 19, and I _am_ hoping to continue this story, because I don't want to see the plans go to waste. But... You know... Writersblock and busyness... If you still want to see this fic continued, leave a review, 'kay?))

* * *

The Renegades.

Two days passed and Kratos did not pursue the matter of the jewellery box. For that, Yuan was grateful. Still, he couldn't help but feel a bit guilty that he wasn't telling Kratos what was going on. So, to make up for it, he decided to devote most of his attention to the human. Even though Genis had warned them about the volume, the boy tended to stay out of their way a lot, giving them plenty of privacy.

On the morning of the third day, the jingling sound of keys opening the front door rang through the house. Yuan and Kratos, who were sitting at the kitchen table, watched Genis hop up from his seat immediately to head for the hall. Before he got there, however, a half-elf with flaming red hair, tied back in a pony tail, appeared in the doorway.

"Wow, I wasn't expecting such a warm welcome." He grinned in amusement, watching Genis nearly bump into him. Then he glanced around the kitchen. "Well well, look what we have here…"

"Harley, we need to talk." Genis spoke quickly.

"Can't it wait? We just got back and K-"

"_Now_." Genis hissed, cutting the man's words off harshly.

"Alright, alright. Keep your little pants on." Harley sighed, gave Yuan and Kratos a quick grin and turned to leave the kitchen, Genis in tow. The door was closed behind them.

"Boy, those Renegades are something else…" Kratos muttered.

Yuan chuckled under his breath. "They do seem a bit unorganised, don't they?"

"That Harley guy looked slightly familiar, but I can't quite remember where I saw him…" Kratos' eyebrows contracted in deep thought.

"Well, they have spies everywhere, don't they? It wouldn't be all that strange." Yuan shrugged and turned his attention back to his sandwich. Still, he noticed that Kratos frowned even more at that remark.

A few minutes later, Genis and Harley once again entered the kitchen, immediately closing the door again. From the hallway, Yuan could hear pounding footsteps, concluding that at least two more people were in the house, going up the stairs.

"Well, Harley and his companions are going to look after the house so we can head for the base when you're ready." Genis explained.

Harley, meanwhile, was headed for the kitchen cabinets. After a quick investigation of the contents, he decided to grab an apple. With that, he dropped himself on one of the chairs, putting his feet up on the table with a sigh. "About time we got some rest, too. We had to spend weeks cleaning up someone else's mess."

"Be quiet and take your muddy boots off the table." Genis snapped. Then he turned to Kratos and Yuan. "Well, come on you two! Go get your stuff!"

"Right." The blue-haired half-elf grabbed the remainder of his sandwich and led the way out the kitchen, followed by his companion. Just as they reached the second floor, the door of the second bedroom was snapped shut, blocking its new inhabitants from view.

"They certainly like their privacy…" Kratos muttered under his breath.

* * *

As the two returned downstairs, carrying their bags, they found that Genis was already waiting for them in the hallway, along with Noishe. A small backpack was slung over the boy's shoulder and he looked eager to leave. This, however, did not stop him from scolding the new housesitter. 

"And remember, if you make a mess of this place, I'll know where to find you!"

"Yeah, yeah. No more house parties, I promise. I don't ever want to experience another one of your tantrums." Harley gave an overdramatic shudder.

"Oh, shove it." Genis replied in a low grunt. With that, he pulled the front door open, perhaps a bit harsher than he usually would have, and trudged outside.

"Good luck travelling with that brat. He's under the impression that just because he's buddies with the leader, he can boss us around." Harley commented, though he was smiling widely as he said it. Both Kratos and Yuan gave a small chuckle.

"Thanks for the warning." The bluenette shot him a quick grin.

After saying their farewells to the strange Renegade, the two followed Genis into the cold air of Ozette. Noishe bounded after them, yipping happily.

* * *

As it turned out, the Renegade base wasn't that far from the village at all. As they left the South exit, it was only a two-hour walk to their next destination. Genis immediately pointed the place out to them as it came into view. A wooden door was built into the side of a small, rocky mountain, flanked by two men carrying swords. A few windows were carved into the wall as well. From the outside, it didn't look all that impressive at all. 

"Could you not have told us the way a couple of days ago and continued house sitting yourself?" Kratos asked sceptically.

"Of course not! Without Renegade ID, they wouldn't have let you inside. They might even have killed you on the spot if you looked too suspicious!" the boy responded in a voice that might have been threatening, was it not being used by a twelve-year-old.

"Is that so?"

"Oh, but you're fine with me, though." Genis assured them.

As it turns out, the small half-elf was right. As the two Renegade soldiers saw the group coming, their swords were raised. However, when the distance was closed enough to make out faces, the weapons were instantly lowered again. In fact, they even saluted.

"Welcome back, sir!" one of the two called. It seemed he was addressing not just Genis, but Kratos and Yuan as well.

"Hey. Listen, these two requested a meeting with the leader. Don't mind the human, he's mostly harmless." Genis replied airily.

"_Mostly harmless_?" Kratos repeated, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes, mostly harmless." The boy said again, turning his head to cast a superior glance at the man. "And ignorant at that. But it doesn't matter. He's trustworthy, and so is his half-elf friend."

The two guards blinked, looking almost dumbfounded. Then, they stepped aside, unblocking the door. "Very well."

"In we go." Genis grabbed the handle. For a second, it seemed like sparks were crackling in the air, near his hand. There was a clicking sound and he pulled, opening the way into the base.

"What… was that?" Instead of looking inside, Kratos was staring at the half-elf boy.

Yuan, however, was the one who provided the answer. "A magi-technology lock, correct?"

"Correct. Only half-elves can open this door, by using the magic in their blood to apply the right amount of lightning Mana to the lock. It keeps out most intruders." Genis tapped a foot on the ground impatiently. "Now, are you going to enter, or not?"

Yuan was the first to nod and stride through the door, into the base that seemed so small from the outside. As he stepped over the threshold, however, it was obvious the place was not quite so small at all. Instead of the narrow hallway, there was a high, wide aisle, with several paths leading in other directions. A couple of half-elves were striding through it, seemingly in a hurry.

"More magi-technology?" Kratos asked, behind Yuan.

"Obviously. This base takes up most of the inside of the mountain." Genis' voice replied. "Now, follow."

The boy walked past them, leading the way down the main aisle. The two followed, casting glances left and right. Though it seemed Kratos' gaze was more cautious than anything else, possibly due to his mercenary instincts. Noishe was sticking close to the human, apparently not quite so fond of all the strangers.

Genis guided them all the way through the base, rounding a corner every so often to stride down a hall that looked awfully similar to the one they'd just left behind. At last, however, they reached a large, heavy-looking door. Next to it stood a broad half-elf with spiky black hair and a serious face. Kratos seemed to freeze at the sight of him.

"Hey, Botta!" Genis called cheerfully.

The man named Botta smiled, which offered a contrast to his earlier, surly expression. His eyes travelled over the group for a moment. "It's good to see you back. I've heard the craziest rumours. If even half of what Harley's saying is true-"

"That's what this is about." Genis cut across him. "Look, I can't say much, but these two need to meet with the leader, pronto. All I need is a couple of minutes to explain the situation."

Botta shot both Kratos and Yuan a quick stare. "I see… Then, you two can wait in the hall. We'll call you when we're ready."

After three resounding knocks, the large door was opened and the two half-elves stepped into the next room. It seemed to be a large throneroom of sorts, but before Yuan could get a good look at it, the door was slammed shut again.

"Hmm… It's not nice of them to just keep us waiting like this." The half-elf sighed, though he supposed he couldn't complain about the situation. As he turned to his companion, he noticed that the man was still staring at the door, frowning darkly.

"Yuan… That Botta guy…" he spoke slowly, in almost a growl. "He's the one who contracted me to kill Yggdrasill."


	19. Leadership

((A/N: Wow, another update? Yes, another update. Looks like a couple of people were still interested in having this story continued anyway. I've decided to just keep to the core of the plot and leave out a couple of the 'sidequests' I had planned. It means one of the characters likely won't be appearing, unless I can fit him in somewhere in the ending. I mean, technically he's already appeared once. I just never commented on it afterwards.

Uhm... Yes, enough with the foreshadowing. Enjoy the chapter, and I hope I'll be able to keep up the updates.))

* * *

Leadership.

And so, the two waited outside the leader's room. The minutes seemed like hours and the silence pressed upon them. No other Renegades entered the hallway, nor did either of them dare to talk. Even Noishe seemed too timid to move. All they could do was… _wait_.

That Botta guy was the one who asked Kratos to assassinate Yggdrasill. He was the one who had offered him so much money to throw his life on the line. To hire a mercenary to kill the leader of Cruxis… The idea alone was preposterous. Even in Sybak's academy, amongst some of the half-elves, it was known that the illusive Renegades opposed Cruxis and would stop at nothing to thwart them. Still, in Yuan's eyes, that was no excuse to drag an outsider into their messy affairs.

Occasionally, the blue-haired half-elf would dare to glance at his human partner. Kratos was leaning back against the walls, his eyes closed. Still, from his expression it was obvious that he was listening intently, perhaps even trying the impossible; to hear what was going on on the other side of that door.

Finally, there was a click and the door was swung open again. Botta was standing in the doorway, a completely blank look on his face. For a second, he made eye contact with Kratos, then his gaze drifted to Yuan. With that, he moved aside, signalling that they should enter.

The mercenary was the first to step into the room. Yuan followed close behind, glancing around expectantly. What he saw wasn't quite what you'd expect. If anything, it was most like an office. Bookshelves lined the walls and a lush red carpet lay on the stone floor, leading up to a desk. Genis was standing next to it, his arms crossed as he looked mildly impatient.

That wasn't what was most astounding, though. Sitting on top of the desk, his feet moving back and forth in a playful manner, was a teenaged boy. He seemed to be around the same age as Genis, his blonde hair falling past his shoulders and even a bit into his face. Though he was smiling happily, Yuan could see that his blue eyes were a bit cold. Almost as if he'd lost the ability to truly smile.

There was a happy bark from Kratos' side, and the next moment Noishe had bounded forward to greet Genis ecstatically. The boy smiled and petted it on the head, before looking up again.

"I know you're not members, but how about bowing before our leader?" he demanded.

Yuan hesitated, turning his gaze to Kratos. The man looked rather irritated. "What kind of game are you trying to play?" he asked in a low voice.

"No game, Kratos," the white-haired boy assured him.

"You expect me to believe-"

"Yes, I do. You came here for help, so unless you pay respect to our leader, you might as well turn back and go home," he gave a wave of his hand.

"It's alright, Genis," the blonde spoke in a soft voice. "It's not the first time we've gotten this response, remember?"

"It still ticks me off every single time," Genis huffed. "Just 'cause we're kids…"

"You really are the leader of the Renegades, then?" Yuan enquired, stepping forward.

"I am. You can call me Mithos," the boy smiled again, cocking his head to the side.

"This is ridiculous," Kratos scoffed.

For a moment, Mithos leaned forward and seemed to be observing the human closely. He put a hand to his chin and made a thoughtful sound. Then, finally, he sat up straight and grinned. "It's no wonder you couldn't assassinate Yggdrasill. You're far too blunt."

"_What_?" Kratos' hand moved to his sword, but Yuan stopped him.

"You know about the assassination, then?" the researcher asked calmly.

"Of course. It was my idea." Mithos hopped down from his desk and began to pace. "Mind you, we're trying plenty of ways to end his life. None of our more… covert methods seemed to be working, so I figured we'd try a _direct_ approach."

Kratos raised an eyebrow. "You really have it in for that guy, don't you?"

"He's the leader of Cruxis. It's only logical," Mithos explained, his face taking on a rather dark look. "It's our responsibility to stop him. He and his little gang have been giving half-elves a bad name. Killing, ransacking… Soon enough, even the humans in Sybak will grow weary of us and all researchers will lose their jobs. _Then_ where will the half-elves go?"

"All we have to do is handle the problem at its root. And that's Yggdrasill," Genis added. Yuan couldn't help but notice the boy's eyes darting to Mithos for a fraction of a second.

"It's too bad the guy is near impossible to get to," Kratos snarled.

Mithos 'tisked', leaning back against the desk. "Like I said, you're too blunt. In order to get close to Yggdrasill without being noticed, you need to be more crafty. No doubt, you were caught quite close to the entrance."

Kratos looked away, an expression on his face as if he'd just swallowed something bitter.

"That's quite a situation you got yourself in." Mithos continued. "Wanted by the Papal Knights on false charges, escaping the dungeons... And to drag an innocent half-elf with you as well… I'm not quite sure what to say."

The mercenary opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off when Yuan spoke first.

"I joined Kratos of my own free will. He is a kind man who doesn't deserve to be hunted down like a common criminal. I know that you aren't directly responsible for what happened, but I hope that you will find it in your heart to lend us your aid."

For a moment, Mithos looked positively shocked. Then, completely out of nowhere, he started to laugh. It was a childish laughter that seemed to echo off the walls. Noishe looked up, mildly startled, but was assured when Genis started to pet it again.

"You really _are_ too much." Mithos chuckled. "Such dedication you show. Fine, I'll see if I can make that Wanted status disappear."

He heard Kratos breathe a sigh in relief, but Yuan didn't dare to say anything just yet. He could already predict what was coming next.

"However, you'll have to consider that a reward. First, you need to finish the job."

Kratos' eyes widened. "Finish the j-"

"I want Yggdrasill dead. One way or the other." Mithos shot both visitors a piercing gaze. "If you manage that, I'll do whatever I can to have all accusations against you vanish."

The mercenary sighed, closing his eyes in contemplation. Yuan, meanwhile, shuffled his feet anxiously. He knew the only way out of this was agreeing to end Yggdrasill's life. Though still a child, Mithos seemed to know exactly what he wanted and how to have other people do his bidding.

"Very well. If we can spend the night here, I will head for Cruxis' hideout again tomorrow," Kratos finally decided.

Mithos placed a hand on his hip, leaning forward and wagging his finger at the man dismissively. "I don't think so," he said in an almost sing-songy voice. "You're going to have to take your friend with you."

"What?"

"You're both in this mess together, remember? And you _both_ want to be freed of your Wanted status. It's only fair." Mithos smirked. "Besides, Yuan said that he followed you of his own free will. If you're as kind as he claims you are and a decent mercenary at that, you'll be able to protect him from harm, won't you?"

"You yourself just said that it takes craft to get to Yggdrasill. Besides, Cruxis' hideout is filled with danger, I should know," Kratos argued.

"You think he'll slow you down?" Genis questioned, looking mildly offended himself.

"No! It's just-"

"Yuan, your thoughts on this?" Mithos turned to the researcher, a blank smile on his face. Everyone else in the room gazed at him as well. Kratos seemed to be able to predict exactly what the half-elf was going to say, because his eyes narrowed in dismay.

There was no going around this, as Yuan had already realized. The two of them would have to go to Yggdrasill's lair. Likely, Mithos wouldn't have it any other way. Therefore, the answer was clear. "I'll do it."

Kratos turned away, probably trying to hide the expression of disappointment on his face. Mithos, on the other hand, clapped his hands in an excited manner. "Excellent! Botta will lead you to your room and inspect your luggage. Safety procedures, you know. Can't risk anything."

Yuan glanced over his shoulder to see Botta nod curtly. He'd nearly forgotten that the guy was still in the room as well.

"Good luck, you two. Whether you fail or succeed, I'll receive a report soon enough," the Renegade leader made a shoo-ing motion, indicating that they were dismissed.

Though Yuan was ready to leave, Kratos didn't budge, still observing the teenager with an inspecting stare. "I have one more question."

"Oh?" Mithos cocked his head to the side again, looking curious.

"Just what is your relation with Yggdrasill?"

The blonde boy seemed to freeze over, not quite moving. The innocent expression on his face faded away slowly, making room for that darkness Yuan had sensed from the start. Calmly, he straightened up, his gaze straying to the floor. "It's my responsibility to ensure that he is stopped. However, I will never be able to face him myself, because… he's my older brother."


	20. The Researcher's Demise

((A/N: Hurray! We've reached chapter 20! I never thought I'd see the day. And... Oh man. Finally! It's the big plot twist I've been waiting for since I started this story! _Finally_! ... Well, enjoy!))

* * *

The Researcher's Demise

It was late in the evening when Yuan looked up from his backpack to see Kratos leaving the neighbouring bathroom, drying off his messy hair with a towel. They had been granted a cosy, two-person bedroom inside the base, where they would spend the night. The next day, they would leave bright and early, to finish the job Kratos had started.

Cruxis' base was apparently quite a nasty little hideout, hidden in the ruins of an old castle. Though it was located in a vast forest, it wasn't that far away from Ozette at all. The journey would take them a day, at most. The thought was hardly comforting for Yuan, as he dreaded their confrontation with Yggdrasill more than anything.

Kratos sat down on the bed, tossing the towel aside. At the moment, he was wearing nothing but his underwear. This made Yuan grin slyly, though no comment came. He would enjoy the sight of that familiar, muscled chest in silence.

There was a soft whine and Noishe wandered over to the man, hoping to be petted. Kratos smiled and placed a hand on its head, stroking the fur softly. Though it wasn't quite comfortable in a place with so many strangers, the wolfish creature would have to remain at the Renegade base while its owners were out on their mission. Genis had promised to take good care of it, along with Mithos.

Kratos glanced down at the backpack, raising an eyebrow. "Botta finally returned our luggage, did he?"

"Yeah." Yuan smiled. "They didn't find anything suspicious in there, as was to be expected."

"Of course." The human reached into the bag and pulled out his trusty hipflask, giving it a easy shake. "They _emptied_ it! Was that really necessary?"

"Apparently, they suspected it to be poisoned," Yuan replied with a shrug.

"That's just ridiculous. As if we'd want to assassinate a little brat like Mithos."

"Can't be too careful…" The researcher got up from his crouching position on the floor and sat down next to his lover, wrapping an arm around him. "But we've got _bigger_ assassination plans, haven't we?"

Kratos sighed, placing his flask on the bedside cabinet. It was always easy to tell when something was bothering him. His ruby eyes would glaze over and his eyebrows would contract into a sort of frown.

"What's on your mind?" Yuan questioned.

"I suppose I'm just… worried," came the short response. He was still staring blankly ahead.

"Worried that I'll slow you down, like Genis said?"

Kratos shook his head softly. "No. I'm worried because this is a dangerous mission. If you were harmed, I would never forgive myself."

"Kratos…" The half-elf sighed and pulled his partner closer, into a tight embrace. A smile tugging at his lips, he ran his fingers through those moist auburn locks. To sit here forever, just like this, would be wonderful. But the cold hard reality remained that that could never happen. "You don't have to worry about things like that. I'll be fine."

"You're not a fighter, Yuan. You and I both know that. I would be much more comfortable if I could leave you here."

"You won't have to waste your attention on me. I'll stay out of the way so you can focus on battles. I promise," Yuan whispered.

Kratos looked up at him blankly. "Do you even understand the situation we're in?"

"I like to think that I do." The half-elf gave a small chuckle.

"Then why? Why are you so certain things will work out? Why aren't you fearing your life?"

Yuan met Kratos' demanding gaze unblinkingly. That wasn't true. The researcher _did_ fear his life. He knew that he would die, because he was just a helpless weakling. He knew that, as soon as they entered Cruxis' base, it would all be over. Kratos would be crushed, no doubt, but it was something that couldn't be avoided.

To dwell on such things would be a waste of their last evening together.

"Call it intuition," he responded, smiling sadly.

There was one simple blink of ruby eyes. Then, Kratos leaned forward, returning Yuan's embrace as he buried his face in the crook of his lover's neck. "… I don't want to lose you."

For a long while, Yuan said nothing. He merely stared ahead, guilt eating him up inside. A foolish emotion, considering the circumstances. He also hoped that Kratos would accept the way things would turn out.

"Trust me," he finally whispered, running a soothing hand up and down the man's back.

Falling in love with Kratos something that he hadn't planned. Something that shouldn't have happened in the first place. Even so, he didn't regret one second of it.

* * *

"What now?"

"Just stay down. I'll think of a plan."

"A plan? You?"

"Hey, I'm a researcher, remember?"

In Gaoracchia forest, all seemed to be quiet. A crumbling castle stood, hidden by trees and other such greenery, right in the centre of it. The windows had been nailed shut and from the outside, it hardly looked habitable. There was only one way to enter, and that was through the front gates. Gates that were, sadly, flanked by two large, half-elven guards.

Kratos and Yuan sat crouched in some nearby bushes, watching the castle closely. This was it. The moment of truth. To enter Cruxis' base would require stealth. To force your way in would be suicide. The two needed a plan.

"Alright. I've got it. I'll pretend to be a member of Cruxis."

"_What_?" Kratos looked shocked.

"Just hear me out. I'm a half-elf. A lot of the half-elves live in Sybak, but they hardly ever get permission to leave the city. Apart from that, there's only Cruxis and the Renegades. If you pretend to be my prisoner, they'll let us in," Yuan reasoned.

"What if they suspect you're with Renegades?"

"It's all a matter of the right attitude. I'll just shout at them a bit, and they'll think I'm one of them."

"That's ludicrous." Kratos hissed, his eyes narrowing.

"It's either that, or sneaking in like you did last time. But that didn't work so well, now did it?" An amused smile appeared on Yuan's face. "Besides, if anything goes wrong, we've always got our swords."

Indeed, while Kratos had his own trusty sword, the Renegades had allowed Yuan to borrow one of theirs. Even though he was completely unpractised, it was better than having no weapon at all.

"… Fine."

Yuan grinned and pulled a rope out of his backpack. "Just hold your hands behind your back and I'll tie them together. Oh, and you'll need to give me your sword, or it'll look suspicious."

Kratos relented and did as he was told. He gave no complaint whatsoever while his partner tightly wound his hands behind his back. Yuan assumed that the man had placed his trust in him, just like he had asked. That was good. It would make this whole charade easier. He secured the mercenary's sword to his other side and got to his feet, pulling his prisoner along.

"What's this, now?" one of the guards demanded as they approached the castle. "Don't you know-"

"Step aside," Yuan barked.

"What?"

"I said, step aside! I captured this human, who was planning on assassinating lord Yggdrasill. I'd like to take him inside so he can be punished accordingly." A dark glare appeared on Yuan's face. One that the researcher had never used before.

The guards exchanged glances, before chuckling under their breath. "Very well," one of them spoke, giving Kratos a look of complete sympathy. The human frowned in return.

Large wooden doors swung open, allowing the two entry into Cruxis' lair. Though it did not look as shabby on the inside, the halls were certainly dark and cold. As they walked, their footsteps echoed off the stone walls, which were decorated by dreary paintings. Apart from that, all was silent.

"That was too easy. I don't trust this," Kratos whispered, following Yuan's tracks. The half-elf looked back to see his companion's gaze stray the empty hallway, probably on the lookout for anything suspicious. How ironic that he would miss the one thing that was right in front of him.

"Lord Yuan!" came a loud, male voice, causing both to halt. A man with shoulderlength, aquamarine hair had just rounded a corner and was striding towards them. A patch was covering his right eye, which was no doubt missing, while his left arm had been replaced with a large, magi-technology cannon. "You're late."

Kratos produced a soft, startled sound, which was ignored.

"Is lord Yggdrasill here?" Yuan asked simply.

"Of course. He's been waiting. But what of the human? Should I take him to the cells?"

The stranger grinned and reached out to grab Kratos' shoulder, but Yuan stopped him. "No. He should come. He's accompanied me this entire time. He deserves to at least catch a glimpse of Yggdrasill."

The auburn-haired human took a step forward, trying to catch his friend's eye. "Yuan. What are you-"

"Shut up and follow." With that, the half-elf continued walking. He'd known from the start that this moment would come.

The second he crossed that doorstep, the researcher had died.

* * *

((Oh my, what's this? Next chapter explains it all. So the more you review, the sooner you'll find out!))


	21. Deception

((**A/N:** Heeh, look at that shocking amount of reviews! I was expecting... like... two at the most. Thanks guys! Well, get ready for the one chapter to rule them all! Oh, and... It's written from Kratos' thoughtpattern, instead of Yuan's. Same goes for the chapter after this one.))

* * *

Deception

For Kratos, the entire situation was incomprehensible. Even if Yuan were still acting out the part of being a Cruxis member, that wouldn't explain why he was recognised by the man who'd greeted him. No, not just that. He'd addressed Yuan as a "lord". In Cruxis, only those with extremely high ranks would earn that title.

_Why_?

It was strange, how the half-elf looked so completely different from the man he'd befriended. Even though his appearance was still exactly the same, the little details were off. Such as the look on Yuan's face, which had turned completely blank, if not somewhat irritated. Or the way he was masking the sound of his footsteps as he walked, one hand near the hilt of his sword. Just like that, he'd adopted the composure of someone who was trained to fight.

But Yuan… Yuan was just a researcher, wasn't he? How could he know these things?

Whenever they passed a half-elf in the halls, Yuan would be granted a look of deep respect. Sometimes even a curt bow, which was simply ignored by the blue-haired man. Kratos just couldn't make sense of it all anymore. He simply continued to stride after his companion, relying on that trust he was supposed to place in him. His hands were still tied behind his back and he had no weapon, so what else was there to do?

Finally, in the depths of the castle, they reached a large wooden door, decorated with gold and guarded by one large man. Apart from his intimidating size, he was armed with a large axe and an annoyed glare. Red hair was tied back into a messy ponytail. The look he gave Kratos was one of utter disgust, before he turned his gaze to Yuan.

"It's about time you got here, my lord. After we heard of the chaos in Sybak, we thought it would be only a matter of weeks before you'd arrive," the man spoke. His voice was low, like grunt.

"Something came up and delayed my journey. Besides, you wouldn't believe how long it takes for a human to recover from a minor injury," Yuan replied, giving a brief wave of his hand.

"Seems more trouble than it was worth. But you must've had your reasons for being unable to ditch that vermin." Yet another hateful glare was tossed Kratos' way, before the man moved aside. "Well, in you go, then."

Not wasting any time, Yuan stepped forward and placed a hand against the door, pushing it open. Kratos hesitated for a moment, wondering what that conversation was about just now. Minor injury? Was that a reference to the wound he'd received from the Papal Knights before they fled Sybak? These people had been _expecting_ them ever since they left the city? But how could that be? The fact that they came here was only an unfortunate string of events, orchestrated by the Renegades.

Kratos was snapped out of his thoughts when the man with the cannon arm gave him a hard shove, which was obviously a sign that he should enter as well. He took a steadying breath and stepped forward, into what looked like a throne room. Even more macabre paintings and suits of armour decorated the walls, giving the place a look as if it were owned by a king. Kratos instantly recognised the man settled in the large stone seat, even though they had never met. Long, blonde hair, partly obscuring his emotionless green eyes as he gazed down at the two who had dared enter his domain. Though the likeness in appearance was definitely showing, Yggdrasill still looked very different from his younger brother, Mithos.

Yuan was already walking down the aisle, crouching into a respectful bow when he was only a few feet in front of the throne. "My lord. I have returned."

The leader of Cruxis gave him an icy stare, only barely smiling. "Did you succeed?"

"Of course." Yuan got to his feet and took something out his pocket, handing it to Yggdrasill. It was small and black. … A jewellery box?

Only one peek inside was enough to spread a wide grin across the blonde's face. "Excellent. I will forgive you for the delay." The box was snapped shut again, and a curt nod was given to the aquamarine-haired man behind Kratos. "Forcystus, would you be kind enough to fetch Yuan's weapon? Those flimsy swords by his side are an eyesore."

"Right away, my lord." Forcystus bowed to his leader and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Yggdrasill got to his feet and walked forward, past Yuan, until he towered over Kratos. A seemingly amused leer was cast down at the confused mercenary. "To think you would befriend the human who attempted to kill me… It was unexpected news, to say the least. Even more so that you would drag him all the way over here."

At this, Kratos chose to finally open his mouth. "I wasn't-"

He was cut off harshly when Yggdrasill slapped him across the face. "You will speak when spoken to!" The blonde turned to face Yuan, crossing his arms. "I suppose _this_ is why years of careful planning were tossed aside?"

"… My apologies. I found myself without a choice." The half-elf spoke. Though his eyes met Kratos' enquiring gaze, they remained as blank as before.

"One of the downsides of your work, I suppose," Yggdrasill sighed dramatically, before rounding on Kratos again. Apparently, the guy was very entertained by all this. "Well then, human. Let me ask you something. Do you not think Yuan is the most skilled actor you have ever seen?"

"Actor?" Kratos repeated blankly.

"Yes, you see… Yuan here is one of my most apt underlings. This because he has a unique ability, surpassed by no one." Cruxis' leader cast a somewhat proud smile to the man in question. Yuan remained silent, his head still bowed in respect. "Would you care to guess what it is?"

All this time, Kratos had been lied to. Obviously, Yuan was more than just a researcher. He was a member of Cruxis, who had apparently been on some sort of mission in Sybak. What kind of ability would be best for that?

"Lying without showing any physical side-effects?" The mercenary asked.

"You think too small, human." Yggdrasill chuckled. "No… You see, Yuan can adapt any character he can dream up, and play that role out until he completes his mission."

"… I don't understand."

"Why does that not surprise me? I suppose I will have to… _dumb_ this explanation down so even _you_ can grasp it." A thoughtful hand was placed to his chin, before Yggdrasill straightened up again. "For example, on this mission, Yuan had to pretend to be a researcher. That was his character. Usually, researchers are weak, inferior people. Though armed with a good mind, they cannot fight anyone. So the Yuan you met was a kind, introverted person, is that correct?"

Still stumped, Kratos only gave a short nod.

"All his actions were based around this personality. Choices, posture… The people he befriends… But it was all a façade." Yggdrasill grinned again, his eyes betraying his true feelings of amusement. "Don't feel bad that you fell for it. It's his job."

Kratos could practically feel his jaw drop. Everything he thought was true seemed to crumble apart. The man he befriended, the one who saved him from the Papal knights and took care of him all this time… The man he fell in love with… Was it all just a lie?

"Why?" he asked, his voice shaking due to magnitude of it all. "Why go through so much trouble?"

"To get our hands on _this_." Once again, the small black box was held up. Yggdrasill eyed it lovingly, before flicking it open and showing the contents. Kratos, who had been expecting a ring or similar piece of jewellery, got a mild shock. Inside it was a shining, perfectly round, red crystal. It shone eerily in the candlelight.

"An Exsphere?" The mercenary questioned.

"Not just any Exsphere," Yggdrasill replied, returning the box safely to his pocket. "For years, Sybak has been experimenting on how to make these little trinkets evolve. They were planning on developing a crystal that can enhance all senses and give you the powers of a _god_."

Kratos blinked. He'd never heard of anything like that before. He knew that Exspheres could increase physical strength a bit, which was why they were used by soldiers. But… To enhance senses? "… Is that even possible?"

"Several tests had proven it to be true, catching our interest. But the project was top-secret. The only way to get close would be to become a part of the research team. By the time I sent Yuan to Sybak's academy to infiltrate, they were close to finishing their first prototype. But the final product, which is completely without faults, is in my possession right now."

Kratos thought back, remembering the time they left Sybak. Yuan had known perfectly well how to leave the city. Not only that, but he ensured a way for the mercenary to escape by bringing a spare uniform. When they left the dungeons, all was quiet. There was only one time when he'd left the half-elf out of his sight, and that was when Yuan claimed to return to his apartment to fetch some things, leaving him in the care of Kate and Laila.

"Then… The alarms that sounded that day…"

"Were set off when I snatched the crystal." Yuan spoke simply. "You didn't think they'd make all that fuss over one prisoner, did you?"

Even now, Kratos just stood rooted on the spot, unable to grasp all this. There was just no way that Yuan, _his_ Yuan, could be capable of such deceit. It must be a bad joke, or a nightmare. Yes, that had to be it. A nightmare. But why couldn't he wake up?

* * *

((Oh Yuan, you traitorous, silly man, you.))


	22. Memories Of That Night

((**A/N:** Here we are... Chapter 22. The fun continues! And, wow, 7 reviews for the previous chapter? That's neat! Thanks everyone!))

* * *

Memories Of That Night

Yggdrasill returned to his throne and sat down, facing the two with an icy glare. Kratos could almost feel the cold spreading across his body and hastily looked away. But even so, there was no way to ignore the man's words, which broke the eerie silence.

"The news of all that chaos wasn't too pleasing, though. I would've preferred if you'd gotten the Exsphere without resorting to such crude methods. If they caught you, there was no way you could've defended yourself." Yggdrasill gave a mild frown, a sign that he did not care to lose one of most capable lackeys.

"Why do you think I kept a mercenary so close at all times?" The half-elf retorted airily.

"Come now, Yuan. You could've easily asked a member of Cruxis for help, even with your wimpy character. There must be another reason you dragged this human all over the place."

"That was a mistake on my behalf. The foolish researcher fell in love with him."

A shiver ran down Kratos' spine at the way these words were spoken. So cold, filled with irritation over what the spy deemed to be a fault in his plans. Obviously, this Yuan didn't give a damn about the man he'd been travelling with all this time.

"You… You can't be serious." Kratos managed to utter, causing the half-elf to turn and face him. This was it. Yuan's only chance to give _some_ sort of sign that it was all just an act. To show that the words he'd whispered all those times were true. But the look in his eyes was enough to shatter the mercenary's hope, along with his heart.

"But I _am_, dear Kratos. The researcher was deluding himself, to think he could change someone like you. A man whose life was a complete mess because he lacked the proper discipline to pull himself together. Though you've made progress, you're still a disgusting creature. And I can tell you right now, that if you'd dared to touch me while I was anyone else, I would've killed you on the spot."

"Y-Yuan…" Kratos was barely aware of Yggdrasill's faint chuckling. Everything around him just seemed to turn dark, as a feeling of deep grief struck his heart. This _wasn't_ a dream. And Yuan _wasn't_ acting. He should've known he was too lucky to have someone like the researcher care for him. He should've realized that it was too good to be true. The man who had saved him from his sad existence didn't truly exist.

The mercenary was so distraught that he hardly realized Forcystus had returned to the room after a curt knock on the door, carrying a large weapon in his hand. It was a double saber, its two blades a crimson red with golden lining. All this was held together by one slim black handle. Though apparently heavy, its edges were deceitfully sharp. After bowing to Yuan, Forcystus handed the weapon over to its master, who gave it a loving smile.

"Finally…" the half-elf murmured, running a finger along one of the blades.

"If you'd like to regain the feel of a fresh kill, I know a perfect victim," Yggdrasill spoke, his eyes gliding over to Kratos. Yuan followed the man's gaze, but shook his head.

"No. Death would be a relief for the human now. I have bigger plans for him."

The strange smirk on his former companion's face brought Kratos back to his senses. Bigger plans? That sounded terribly foreboding.

"Very well. Forcystus, lead our guest to the cells," Yggdrasill commanded briefly, before glancing back to his favourite lackey. "Meanwhile, Yuan… A rather interesting piece of news reached my ears. I trust my resources are reliable, so I would like to hear more details about your encounter with the Renegades."

Yuan bowed his head in obedience, a tiny smile tugging at his lips. Even now, not a shimmer of guilt appeared on his features. "Of course, my lord."

"No!" Kratos stepped forward, for the first time trying to release his hands from their bind. Yuan was going to betray the Renegades. Mithos, Genis, Botta, Harley… If Yggdrasill found out, they were all sure to die. "I won't let you do this! The Renegades trusted us!"

Yuan turned, giving Kratos a look that seemed close to sympathy. Yggdrasill, meanwhile, appeared to be almost _bored_. He gave a snap of his fingers, and Kratos felt a strong hand gripping his shoulder, signifying that Forcystus had taken action. But even as he was dragged, struggling madly, from the room, the human wouldn't stop his screaming. Not out of desperation or sadness, but pure anger.

"Yuan! You'll pay for this, you bastard! I _trusted_ you! _Yuaaan_!"

* * *

The cells in Cruxis' base were dark and cold. Mostly, this was because they were located underground, below the castle. Kratos could almost _see_ his breath rise before him. Still, he sat silently in a corner, not once complaining. There were no guards, but even if there were, he wouldn't waste words on them. Instead, he lamented over the past. The only thing to break that deadly silence was the sudden echo of footsteps, announcing a new arrival.

It seemed like such a long time ago, when he sat in that cell in Sybak, hoping that Yuan would come to visit. Now, however, that was the _last_ thing he wanted. How cruel the quirks of fate could be.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?"

Reluctantly, Kratos raised his head to meet Yuan's amused gaze, on the other side of the iron bars. "What do you want?"

"No enthusiastic greeting? I'm surprised," the half-elf spoke, then he paused for a moment, looking as if he were thinking about something. "Then again, it's not _me_ you wanted to see, is it?"

"Get lost."

Yuan chuckled dryly. "Perhaps you should refrain from using such harsh words, considering the situation you're in."

Kratos lowered his gaze to the ground again. His hands, which were still tied firmly behind his back, contracted into fists for a second. "It's not like things can get worse."

There was a sigh, and the tinkling sound of a keychain rang through the cells. Not long after, there was the click of a lock and Yuan stepped into the cell. He closed the door behind him and leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms. A mean smirk crossed his lips once again. "You aren't really that surprised to see a man with multiple personalities, are you? You yourself were one, after all."

The human's gaze snapped back to Yuan, his ruby eyes narrowing venomously. "Don't you _dare_ compare me to someone like _you_."

"Oh? But it's quite a nice likeness. You were violent and possessive, like a wild animal, not caring about the emotions of others. The only difference is that I can _remember_ the things I've done."

Kratos' breath got stuck in the back of his throat, as the realization dawned on him. In a way, back then, he was even worse than what Yuan was now. Normally, he would tell himself that it didn't matter. That he had _changed_. But the man responsible for that change was just a façade.

"I'm not…" The rest of the words wouldn't leave his mouth. He couldn't even convince _himself_, let alone Yuan.

The half-elf pushed away from the wall and stepped towards him. He glanced down at Kratos, for the first time looking truly dangerous. "You don't recall, do you? The things you said that night? The things you _did_?"

The mercenary looked away, hoping that Yuan would just vanish if he ignored him. Sadly, only the opposite was true, as he felt a hand grabbing his collar, pulling him to his feet. A palm was placed against the side of his face, roughly forcing him to meet those emerald eyes again.

"The researcher had done nothing to you. He'd even tried to befriend you, despite what you did in that café. Do you remember how you betrayed him?" Yuan demanded.

"I… I don't want to know!" Kratos spluttered. His eyelids were scrunched shut, but even though that avoided the half-elf's stare, it wasn't enough to block out his voice.

"You told him you were doing him a favour. You told him he should be happy, because as a half-elf, he wasn't likely to get laid anyway. You claimed he was your property. Do you remember?"

"S-stop!" Kratos tried desperately to shake his head. _Why_? Why was Yuan telling him this?

"Whenever he couldn't quite bend the way you wanted, you hit him. Whenever he cried out in pain, you would block it out with your hand. You bit his shoulder and scratched his lower body. I don't think I'll ever be able to suppress that memory, but _you_ managed to do it just fine."

"Then why?! Why didn't you fight back?!" The human screamed.

Yuan shook his head, chuckling. "I _couldn't_. I was just a helpless researcher and you were a mercenary. You caught me in my most vulnerable personality so far."

The hand holding his collar shifted, its fingers wrapping themselves around the man's throat. Kratos choked, his eyes snapping open again.

"And do you know what you said before you passed out? It was just a drunken whisper, but the researcher heard it just fine. Would you like to guess?"

"Don't… w-want to… know." The mercenary managed to utter, in-between deep gasps.

"You told him that you loved him." Yuan stated, causing Kratos to freeze completely. "Isn't that funny? It took you a few months to admit it when you were sober, but your other half knew it immediately. Despite the fact that he hardly knew the researcher, had hardly talked to him, the other Kratos shared the same feelings you did."

The hand holding his throat suddenly released its grip, causing the auburn-haired human to fall to the ground with a dull thud. He doubled up, trying to regain his breath.

"It's a shame, isn't it? That the researcher is dead?" Yuan gave a cold, ringing laugh and turned to exit the cell, leaving Kratos alone with those terrible feeling of desperation and betrayal.


	23. The True Allegiance

((**A/N:** Chapter 23 already! And I do believe we're nearing the end of the story. I just... haven't written it yet. -_cough_- So expect the next update to come fairly late and, eh, I'm sorry if the start of this chapter is confusing. It was supposed to be like that, but I think I failed epicly when it comes down to finally _explaining_ everything.))

* * *

The True Allegiance.

Outside the Renegade base, two figures met under the starry heaven. Guards were nowhere in sight, making it a private scene. The newcomer was greeted with a curt nod by the one who had been standing outside; a firm-looking half-elf with spiky black hair.

"Did you succeed?"

"Yes. Yggdrasill is dead. Like predicted, he wanted to be the first to give the Exsphere a try."

"Mithos will be thrilled."

"Will he? No matter how cruel the man was, he was still his older brother."

"Perhaps. But Mithos had already accepted Yggdrasill's fate. He will join the celebrations, no doubt."

The door to the Renegade base opened, flooding the two with light from the hall. A girl with shoulder length red hair sped into the cold air, grinning widely. She was followed by two others, who stood by the side with a smile. A man with red hair, covered by a bandana, and a woman whose glasses sparkled in the moonlight.

"Yuan! You're back!" the girl called, throwing her arms around a half-elf with long blue hair in an enthusiastic greeting.

"Long time no see, Laila," Yuan replied, pushing her off again.

"You did it, didn't you? All our work paid off, right?" Laila demanded. Her question was answered with a firm nod. "Oh man, that's wonderful! I was worried when that human showed up, but you pulled it off anyway!"

"Congratulations, Yuan," the man with the bandana added, giving the double-agent's shoulder a playful punch. "But I really wish you could've stuck to the original plan. Everyone in Sybak's academy was questioned because of you, you know."

"And unlike you, we're not professional liars." The second woman pushed her glasses further up her nose, looking reprimanding.

Yuan sighed, shaking his head. "How many more people will I have to apologize to about this? I finished the job like Mithos asked, did I not?"

"Yeah, give the guy some credit. It's not like he messed up completely." Laila chuckled. "So, what happened to Yggdrasill? Did he keel over immediately or did he flail a bit before he kicked the bucket?"

"Despite that they only had a few hours to work on the Exsphere, our researchers did a pretty good job with it. Death was instantaneous," Yuan cast a quick glance up at the sky. "I managed to escape with ease thanks to the chaos that followed."

It had been a complicated plan from the start. But such a thing was needed because, as Mithos stated, to assassinate Yggdrasill you needed to be crafty. You had to lure Cruxis' leader into a false sense of security and take advantage of his greatest weakness; his desire for power. High-ranked as he may have been in Cruxis, Yuan's true allegiance had always been with the Renegades. This counted for the researcher as well.

The perfect opportunity presented itself when Yggdrasill concocted his plan to steal the Exsphere. By Cruxis' order, Yuan would infiltrate Sybak's academy and work his way to the top, to steal the completed product when the time was right. Then, right before the researcher would cross the threshold to return to Cruxis, he would make a quick stop by the Renegades' base.

Sabotage the Exsphere and hand it to Yggdrasill. That was Yuan's true mission from the start.

"I will go inform Mithos." Botta turned and entered the base again, leaving the door open.

Laila started bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. "Yeah, it's getting cold out here. Let's go back inside and open a bottle of champagne!"

"Champagne? Don't you remember what happened last time?" Kate's eyes narrowed for a moment.

"It'll be fine this time, really!" Laila assured her. A silence followed, after which she turned to the man with the bandana. "Harley, you believe me, right?"

"I'm going to act clever and stay out of this one," Harley replied sagely.

"You're no fun."

Still chuckling and talking amongst themselves, the group started to walk back to the base's entrance as well. Yuan remained where he was, a feeling of foreboding settling in his stomach. "Where's Kratos?"

As one, the group froze and turned to face the spy again, all three looking equally apprehensive.

"You rescued him from the cells, right?" Yuan demanded. That had been the agreement he made with Botta, only a few days ago.

"Yeah. And he was in a pretty bad state, emotionally, just like you said he'd be. We took him back to the base, but he just…" Laila trailed off, glancing down at the ground.

"He took his dog back from Genis and left," Harley finished.

The horrible feeling in Yuan's stomach only grew larger. "You explained everything, didn't you? About why I had to do this?"

"We tried! We really _did_, Yuan! But the jerk just seemed to ignore us!" Laila huffed, crossing her arms. "I think we got through to him eventually, but he said it didn't come close to justifying everything you did."

"Dammit!" Yuan snatched his weapon up from the ground and ran off, into the general direction of Gaoracchia forest.

* * *

Even in the dense woods, the campfire wasn't hard to miss. Yuan approached it cautiously, his eyes falling on the familiar silhouette sitting in front of it. The other man was taking deep gulps from a heavy bottle, but froze when the half-elf stepped on a twig, causing it to snap. Yuan wasn't even bothering to be silent. There was no need, at this time.

The mercenary kept his gaze on the flames, even when his old companion was only a few feet away from him. Noishe, however, lifted its head and gave Yuan a fixed stare. For a while, the only sound was the crackling of the fire.

"You broke your promise," Yuan spoke coldly, referring to the bottle in Kratos' hand. He wasn't certain how much alcohol the man had consumed already, but he didn't seem too intoxicated yet.

"It seems that's the custom these days," Kratos replied, still refusing to grant the other eyecontact.

"I did what I had to do, alright?" The half-elf took a forceful step forward, causing Noishe to emit a low growl.

There was a scoff and the bottle was raised to Kratos' lips again. "Bullshit. You were just saving your own hide."

"So what? Mithos told me to finish the mission, so I did! At least now the Renegades are going to make our Wanted status disappear. Isn't that what we were after in the first place?" Yuan took another step forward, so he could get a closer look at his companion's face. "Besides, it's not like I physically hurt you. I even got Yggdrasill to spare your life!"

"You just don't get it," Kratos grunted moodily.

"Oh, I get it. I get it all too clearly! You think I didn't _trust_ you enough to tell you the truth. You think I've been lying to you all this time and that I never really cared. Or perhaps you're just upset because the researcher is gone. Something sappy like that, no doubt!"

Instead of agreeing with Yuan's words, or denying it all, the mercenary simply laughed. It was a dead, hollow laugh, ringing with cold amusement. In one swoop, he pushed himself to his feet and threw the bottle to the ground, where it smashed. Yuan hardly flinched, not even at the dangerous look in the man's eye. A look he knew only too well.

"Does that character not have any brains, or are you just _pretending_ to be stupid?" Kratos' eyes narrowed into slits.

"Then what? What the hell made you so upset that you won't even hear me out?"

Another faint chuckle escaped his lips as the human shook his head softly. Then he fixed the other with a dark, piercing gaze. "Who _are_ you, Yuan?"

The silence was broken only by the sputtering of the flames, as the campfire continued to burn merrily. Noishe had once again lowered its head onto its paws, keeping an eye on its master and their nighttime visitor. The look on Yuan's face was completely blank.

"Who am I talking to right now? And how do I know that that person truly is who he claims to be? How do I know that individual won't disappear a few months from now? Who is Yuan?" Kratos demanded.

It was rare for the Renegade to be left without speech. Only on a few occasions did he run out of things to say. It was amazing, how the human had managed to leave him without any kind of answer. "I…"

"Get out of here. If you don't, I will kill you," Kratos turned and took his seat in front of the fire again, staring stubbornly into the flames. "To me, you are nothing but a stranger."

* * *

((Little notes; Harley was working at Sybak's academy as well, and that's why Kratos thought he looked familiar. Both Laila and Kate were Renegades as well, keeping an eye on Yuan. They're the ones who took over the Renegade house in Ozette, along with Harley. Of course, Yggy knew nothing about all this. So far, we've seen three Yuan personalities. Researcher, Cruxis member and Renegade. Of course, there's a whole lot more of 'm, depending on what kind of mission he has to do. ... Yeah.))


	24. The Price For Betrayal

((A/N: There we go, the next chapter. Mostly, the delay originated from the fact that I had to write battle scenes. Ugh, I suck at battle scenes. Even more than normal scenes, I mean. Eheheh... Well, I hope you'll enjoy anyway. The chapter after this one will probably be the last. Depends how much info I'm actually gonna put in there.))

* * *

The Price For Betrayal

Gaoracchia forest was known for being thick and unruly. It was the first time in many years that Yuan was completely, utterly lost. Not because he didn't know where he was, but because he didn't know _who_ he was. Nothing was expected of him, now. He didn't know who he was supposed to be. Killing Yggdrasill was supposed to be his last mission. He couldn't return to the Renegades, simply because his final task was done. He couldn't return to Cruxis, he couldn't return to Sybak… And he couldn't return to Kratos.

Which identity could he return to? There was nothing in-between. Until he found a new personality, a new individual to be, he would have to be a Renegade without a purpose.

There was a rustle nearby, and Yuan hopped back just in time to avoid getting shot in the legs by a blast of magic. His weapon, which had been dragging along listlessly by his side, was raised immediately as he turned his gaze to the origin of the attack. "Show yourself!"

Another rustle, and Forcystus stepped out of the nearby darkness of the bushes. His gaze was vengeful and far from the respectfulness he had shown before. "It was _you_. You betrayed our lord."

"So what if I did?" Yuan demanded, still raising his blade in an offensive manner.

"He trusted you. We all did. And this is how you repay us?" the eye that wasn't covered by a patch narrowed in disgust. "You betrayed half-elves everywhere."

Yuan gave a careless shrug. "I see that differently. All Yggdrasill was doing was wreaking havoc. Everyone who believed in Cruxis' ideals was a fool."

"You will die because of those words."

There was a flurry of footsteps, and Yuan raised his blade in front of his face just in time to prevent his nose from being broken. Instead, a metallic 'clang' echoed throughout the forest. Forcystus had swung his cannon arm towards the Renegade, with the intention of causing as much harm as possible in one blow. In Yuan's mind, it was only ironic. That the one who had reunited him with his trusty weapon would be the first to suffer from it.

He had to eliminate those who stood in his way. Fighting for survival would be his momentary purpose.

That cannon was every bit as heavy as it looked, its weight pressing down on one of the blades of Yuan's sword. If this kept up, he would be overpowered. Instead of trying to force his opponent back, he simply stepped aside. His sudden movement caught Forcystus off-guard. The man stumbled forward, before whipping around to face Yuan again, taking another swing.

For the longest time, blows were constantly exchanged and blocked. Neither of the two seemed fully able to injure the other, the massiveness of their weapons slowing them down a bit. Just as Yuan contemplated trying a different approach, he was once again forced to hold his weapon in front of his face with both hands to ward off the cannon arm. This time, instead of waiting things out and allowing his enemy to push against his blade, he swiftly kicked the other in the stomach. Forcystus faltered as the breath was knocked out of his lungs and stepped back. Yuan took advantage of that. He turned his upper body to increase his momentum, before swinging his weapon full-force. Forcystus managed to block just in time, another loud clang echoing across the woods. Several birds took flight, rustling the trees nearby.

"You can't defeat me… you fool," Yuan spat, trying to push back against Forcystus' arm.

A sudden smirk dawned on the other's face. "I wonder… which of us is the bigger fool."

It was then that Yuan noticed Forcystus was not glancing at him, but rather something _behind_ him. His grip on his weapon faltered and he cursed inwardly for not having realized that the rustling hadn't come from birds alone. Allowing someone to sneak up on him… That was a novice mistake. Before he could properly turn to face the newcomer, he received a sharp blow to the back of the head and his entire world was turned upside-down for a moment.

Faintly, he heard a thud nearby, signalling that his sword had slipped from his hands. Only a brief second later, he felt himself fall to the ground. There were footsteps nearby, and before the Renegade had a chance to properly clear his head, he felt a strong hand grabbing his shoulder, preventing his escape.

"Fancy meeting you here, lord Yuan," growled a deep, familiar voice.

Emerald eyes opened, and a few seconds later Yuan's vision had cleared completely. He glanced up at a familiar scarred face, feeling his heart sink just a little bit lower. His features hardly showed this, though, as his lips twisted into a somewhat dry grimace. "Hello, Magnius."

"What are you doing all the way out here? Did your filthy little Renegade friends kick you out?" Magnius demanded, his grip on Yuan's shoulder growing stronger, to the point where it started to hurt.

"I was just enjoying a night time stroll when I ran into Forcystus here," the blue-haired man responded simply.

"Hah." Magnius pulled him to his feet, rendering him defenceless by forcing his arms behind his back. Naturally, Yuan struggled to be released, but no such luck. Magnius' grip was simply too strong. A low, hoarse chuckle originated from the redhead. "Your carelessness will be your downfall."

Overpowered by two of Yggdrasill's mindless lackeys… Today really wasn't Yuan's day. And sadly, things only got worse. Forcystus took the opportunity to punch him in the stomach with his cannon, knocking the wind right out of him. Yuan doubled up in reflex, gasping for air, only to receive another hard slam to the side of his head. Faintly, he could feel a trickle of blood run down his temple.

"Those who betray Cruxis must pay the price. But because you murdered our glorious leader, we'll do our best to make this extra painful."

Another blow to his stomach, and Yuan could hear Magnius laughing behind him.

"Your suffering will be immense, and there's no point in begging for mercy," Forcystus spoke, a superior grin tugging at his lips as he prepared for his next assault. He paused, however, when Yuan raised his head to glare at him.

"I wasn't planning on it," the Renegade replied nastily, his voice a bit more winded than it usually would have been.

Forcystus simply continued to smirk. "Oh? So your '_character_' isn't a snivelling wimp this time? Good. That'll make things more entertaining."

The half-elf pulled his arm back, a slam at Yuan's chest only seconds away. The very moment the cannon came into contact with its prey, though, a loud scream echoed through the clearing and Forcystus' eyes widened.

"_Lightning_!"

A large amount of electricity exploded from Yuan's body and surged through the metallic shell of the magi-technology arm. It only took a fraction of a second to strike, causing Forcystus to howl in agony before staggering backwards. Then he keeled over completely. The sudden shock had likely caused a heart attack.

"What the-" Magnius let go of Yuan's arms in shock, but instead of fleeing, the man simply fell to his knees with a grunt. No matter how fast his spell had been, the cannon's impact hadn't left him unharmed. His ribcage was hurting like hell, perhaps bruised. This didn't stop him from smirking victoriously, though.

"Heh. What an idiot," the Renegade muttered, before running a hand alongside his face to wipe away the blood.

"_You_!" With a bloodthirsty snarl, Magnius reached out and grabbed Yuan's hair, directing a dagger to the man's throat. "You'll pay for that!"

Yuan tried to pull himself free, but flinched when he felt a sting of pain rush through his chest. His eyes strayed down to the blade for a second, then swiftly surveyed his possible escape routes. There were none. His weapon lay just out of his reach. Was this the end? After all this, he was going to be killed by _Magnius_? … Well, at least he'd finished all his missions. There was nothing left for him to do, really, so would it truly be such a waste?

What happened next transpired so fast, Yuan hardly had time to register it. Pounding footsteps, a rustle of bushes and a low growling sound. Magnius barely had time to voice his surprise in a curse before he was knocked to the ground by a large, furry creature.

White… Green… Floppy ears… _Noishe_?

Yuan could only watch, holding his arms over his injured ribs protectively, as Noishe sunk his teeth into Magnius' arm. The man screamed in pain, before finally managing to roughly shove the creature off his chest with one swing of his injured appendage. As Noishe landed not too far away, still looking as vicious as before, Magnius pushed himself to his feet. Blood was running down his arm, staining the forest floor.

"Filthy, rabid mutt!"

Just as the tall half-elf made to attack Noishe, another presence rushed into the clearing. There was the glint of a blade, and the next second, Magnius' stomach had been pierced with a long sword. He staggered backwards, releasing himself from the weapon's hold, allowing the blood to flow freely.

"D-dammit. Glory to… L-lord Yggdrasill…!" with that, he fell to the ground, just inches away from his former comrade Forcystus.

For a moment, Yuan thought that he'd been saved. That, perhaps, things might work out after all. But as he looked up into the threatening face of Kratos Aurion, he realized he was sorely mistaken.


	25. Mercenary

((**A/N:** Aaand here we go. The last real chapter of Deception. Thanks to everyone who's been reading this entire story! I never excepted it to reach 25 chapters. Also, at one point I had my suspicions I wouldn't even _finish_ the darn thing. But here we are! I hope the last chapter will reach up to your expectations. Eheheh...))

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Mercenary

There was a silence in which time seemed to stand still. Yuan met the other man's gaze unblinkingly, waiting for any sign of hostility. If Kratos were to try and kill him, he would defend himself. It was as simple as that. Still, the quiet was broken only by the metallic hiss of Flamberge being slid back into its sheath. Kratos turned, gave the two fallen Desians one last glance and started to walk away.

"Wait!" Yuan tried to get to his feet, only to fall back to his knees again. Sudden movements caused his ribs sting more painfully. "Why did you… step in? You said-"

Kratos froze, his head not quite turning to face the other. "Even strangers deserve to be rescued from those damned Cruxis."

"No. That can't be the reason. You said that you'd kill me if you ever came face to face with me again. Yet I'm perfectly alive. You're even walking away. Why?"

It was a complete contradiction. If Yuan's life meant nothing to the mercenary, he could've easily let Magnius finish the job. There had to be something there. Anything. But even now, Kratos said nothing, instead starting to walk again.

"Dammit." This time, a bit more careful than before, Yuan pushed himself to his feet to follow the man. In the end, that was the only thing he could turn to. If there was a chance for Kratos to accept him again, he'd have to try and exploit it. "Just hear me out! It's the least you can do."

He reached out to place a hand on Kratos' shoulder, only to have the man whip around and shove him roughly in the chest. A gasp of pain escaped his lips and he staggered backwards. Noishe, who was still watching the scene with interest, let out a low whine.

"Don't touch me, you damned bastard!" Kratos snapped, glaring down at his old companion. If anything, he looked quite similar to the days when he was living in Yuan's apartment. Even the slightest physical contact set him off, back then, because he was afraid he might hurt the object of his affection. "Do you _want_ me to kill you?!"

A pained grimace tugged at Yuan's lips. "You might as well. If the researcher is the only one you were interested in, it wouldn't be a loss."

The human's expression calmed down to a somewhat blank gaze. Another silence ensued, this one even more awkward than before. Finally, Kratos opened his mouth to speak. "Who _are_ you, Yuan?"

In the end, it all came back to that one question.

"I don't _know_! I just don't fucking know anymore, _alright_?!" the half-elf screamed. "I've been imitating others for so long, I never developed a personality of my own! I don't know what I like, I don't know what I hate…! I don't even know if I _have_ a real self! Even now, while I have no more missions, I'm just assuming the identity of the Renegade!"

"Yuan…" Even though Kratos tried to silence the man, this personality wasn't one that could be shut up so easily. Words continued to flow as Yuan straightened up, looking positively pissed.

"I know the researcher seemed like a real person to you, and maybe he was! But he was only meant to deliver the damned Exsphere! He knew he was going to die and chose not to tell you anyway! Because he knew you'd interfere! He loved you more than anything and trusted that you would be able to take care of yourself after he was gone! So I'm _sorry_ for your loss, but you'll just have to get over it!"

Kratos lowered his head, locks of hair hiding most of his face. There was a mild twitch at the corners of his lips. "What do you want from me?"

Yuan, who was still catching his breath from his previous outburst, looked genuinely surprised. "Huh?"

"If the researcher is gone and you have no more missions, why are you still pursuing me?" the man asked, still gazing at the ground before him.

"My other personality told you, didn't he? In the cells in Cruxis' base. Well, you were probably too busy to catch a hint, wallowing in self-pity and such," Yuan responded, wrinkling his nose at the thought.

"All I remember is distinct mockery," the swordsman spoke simply.

A deep, annoyed sigh passed Yuan's lips. Kratos really was thicker than he thought. "'Even though he hardly knew the researcher, the other Kratos felt the same way.' … Or something like that, anyway."

The half-elf waited patiently, but it seemed like direct words were the only way to make his point. Whatever amount of alcohol Kratos had consumed that evening, it had had a bit of an effect on the man's brain. It couldn't be _that_ hard to figure out, after all.

"There is only one thing my personalities have had in common, so far. Well, the member of Cruxis couldn't really show it because Yggdrasill was near," Yuan tried to shrug, but failed miserably when another sting of pain rushed through his chest. He grimaced again. "Even though both he and this Renegade hardly know you, have hardly spoken to you… They love you."

For the first time in half a minute, Kratos looked up to meet the other man's gaze. "… What?"

"I don't know for how many other personalities this would be true, but something tells me it'd be all of them. It isn't a requirement given before the personality is created, because the researcher wasn't supposed to fall in love with anyone. Yet it happened anyway. Even now, all I want is for you to give me another chance."

"How do I know you won't betray me again?"

"You're just… going to have to trust me," Yuan responded, unable to keep a sad smile from his face. The last time he'd asked Kratos to do that ended in disaster. But he had no reason to leave the man. Not anymore.

Like earlier, Kratos lowered his head, apparently thinking deeply. One of his feet reflexively scuffled over the ground for a moment. "… Do you know why I became a mercenary?"

Yuan shook his head softly. There wasn't much he knew about the human's past, aside from the reason he became an alcoholic. To forget the things his abusive father did to him.

"When I was sixteen, I decided to leave my home. I simply packed my things and tried to depart without confronting my father about it. It was just bad luck that he was sober enough to notice. He cornered me in the living room and tried _discipline_ me."

It wasn't hard for Yuan to figure out what that meant. He didn't even need to see Kratos' fists clenching to know.

"It was even worse than usual. I can't remember what happened, I must've blacked out… My next memory is standing over his dead body, holding his prized old sword. _This_ sword." He patted the sheath attached to his waist to indicate Flamberge. The sword he had carried with him all this time. "What unnerved me most was the lack of… guilt I felt. I knew that he deserved what he got. It was justice, in a way. … That's why I decided to continue to rid the world of people like him."

"Kratos…" Yuan took a cautious step forward. "I'm… not the same. I killed a few people in the name of Cruxis, I won't deny that. But just like you managed to change your ways, I can too."

He wasn't that friendly, pacifistic researcher Kratos had loved. He knew that. He also wasn't that cold-blooded warrior from Cruxis Kratos had hated. Even the man he was now was susceptible to change. If he could just be the man Kratos was looking for…

"I have a new personality for you," the mercenary spoke suddenly, raising his head to look Yuan in the eye.

"What?"

"You don't have a real personality to turn back to and the Renegade finished his purposes as well. If you don't have anyone else to be, I will give you a new mission. One that will last until your mortal body dies."

A smirk appeared on Yuan's face. Kratos was giving him an _ultimatum_. "I'm listening."

"What I'm looking for is a man who's friendly and caring, like the researcher, but at the same time able to defend himself from harm like the Renegade. Someone who won't keep any secrets from me and will stay by my side until the very end. That way, he'll keep _me_ out of trouble as well. Honest, clever, strong… Perhaps romantic from time to time. Most importantly, someone who would never betray me."

The half-elf ran all that through his mind, trying to make sense of Kratos' demands. It sounded like he was looking for the perfect guy. Luckily, being the top spy from both the Renegades and Cruxis, it was nothing he couldn't handle. If the human wanted him to have a friendly, loyal personality with fighting skills, he'd make that character real. But there was one thing Yuan had to know beforehand.

"Top or bottom?"

"Hm?" Kratos blinked.

"This character. Does he prefer top or bottom?" The question came completely without shame.

For a moment, it looked as though Kratos was going to laugh. Instead, he settled for a wide smile. "Whatever he feels like at the moment."

"Sounds good." Yuan grinned as well. With this new personality, perhaps, Kratos would come to accept him again. Not immediately, but with time. A part of the researcher would live on, even though he wasn't quite the same. The two were free to go wherever they wanted, without being pursued by Cruxis or the Papal Knights. By being this person until he died, he would be able to stay with Kratos forever.

"So, what are we going to call this character?"

The human thought for a moment, his gaze straying to Noishe. The creature gave a somewhat excited 'yip'. Then, he turned back to Yuan, seemingly determined about his decision.

"The mercenary."

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((Or, more aptly named... "The fellow mercenary". Yup, the guys will be travelling the world together, delivering swift justice to baddies. Do I smell a sequel? Hahahah, maybe. But probably not. I think another story like this might finish me off. So anyway, I felt this chapter had a significant lack of fluff, but there was just nothing I could fit in here, because Kratos needs time to adjust to this new Yuan (and get over the old one). Perhaps a fluff epilogue? Ah, I dunno. I wouldn't know what it would be about.

Also, a lot of plans were scrapped, but I think I should let you in on this one. For a really long while, I had the idea that Zelos, one of Kratos' mercenary friends, would meet with the two and travel with 'm for a while. Then, in the end, it'd turn out he was working for the Papal Knights to get the guys back to Sybak, dead or alive. And seeing as Yuan is just a half-elf, he'd bring Yuan back _dead_. Which, of course, would result in epic battle of epicness and Kratos eventually running Zelos through. Insert moment of emo Kratos here, because he thought Zelos was his friend, plus the explanation of how our auburn bishie killed his dad. ... Yeah, that'd be the explanation which I moved to this chapter, because I felt the story needed it anyway. Oh, time shortage, you are a fickle mistress. But at least Zelos didn't have to die.

Anywho, thanks for reading, and be sure to leave a review!))


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